Employee-led initiative to distribute warm apparel to underserved marks five years

Compassionate and impactful giving at the heart of efforts to give back to local communities

FORT LEE, N.J. - Cross River Bank (“Cross River”), a technology infrastructure provider that offers embedded financial solutions, is proud to reaffirm its commitment to community support as the year draws to a close, with a focus on enhancing the lives of underserved youth during the holiday season. Throughout the year, Cross River and its employees embrace the spirit of giving through impactful philanthropy and employee-led initiatives focused on driving positive change in communities around the globe. This December, efforts were centered on providing a brighter and warmer holiday season for children in local communities.

“We have always believed in the transformative power of community engagement and our dedication to giving back is woven into the fabric of our values," said Miriam L. Wallach, Head of Social Responsibility at Cross River. “This philosophy drives us to invest in initiatives that empower, uplift and create a lasting impact, strengthening the bonds of our communities.”

Now in its 5th year, Cross River continues its annual employee-driven "Sharing the Warmth" tradition of packing and distributing hats, gloves, and scarves to the Chancellor Avenue School in Newark, NJ. The initiative aims to bring essential winter gear to the students at Chancellor Avenue School during the holiday season and reflects Cross River's dedication to engaging with the community through volunteering.

"On behalf of the 628 students at Chancellor Avenue School and Chancellor Annex, we would like to thank Cross Rivers for their generosity,” said Kashon Lopes, Principal of Chancellor Avenue School. “Your thoughtfulness this holiday season will ensure that our students have the essentials needed to warmly commute to and from school. The cold weather can be a challenge for those students that walk to school. Your help will combat the cold and keep our children warm."

In addition to "Sharing the Warmth," Cross River is delighted to provide support for Knock Knock Give A Sock's Annual Happy Holiday Carnival through its philanthropic arm, Foundation@. This year's carnival, hosted at PS/MS 188 in NY, provided a festive and carefree day for over 400 children from PS/MS188 and local NYC shelters. The groups created a joyful and enchanting atmosphere for the children, many of whom are homeless, to celebrate the holidays, complete with games, giveaways, and toys. In conjunction with providing funds for the carnival, Cross River employees volunteered at the event.

"Knock Knock Give A Sock was so grateful to have partnered with Cross River for our Happy Holiday Carnival,” said Adina Lichtman, Founder of Knock Knock Give A Sock (KKGS). “Not only did they financially contribute to the success of the Carnival but they made sure over 400 kids and their families had nutritious lunches to eat along with a fun dessert of cotton candy and popcorn made by Cross River volunteers!"

"We are beyond grateful to KKGS And Cross River for bringing us such an amazing Carnival to our school,” said Elayne Fernandez, Outreach and Operations Coordinator at PS/MS188. “The Happy Holiday Carnival brought the holiday season to our school community, and it filled our hearts with gratitude seeing how many people joined us and enjoyed it! The Happy Holiday Carnival is definitely a staple for PS/MS 188 each year and we love to hear comments from parents such as ‘I have never seen something like this!’  We want to thank everyone for your commitment to making that day a memorable one. Thank you for paying attention to detail and for making every single person walking through our doors feel special. We hold this partnership very closely to our hearts.”

Since inception, Cross River has remained committed to nurturing community togetherness and support for those in need. A strong focus on employee engagement and consistent active involvement in giving back is a testament to the culture of impactful philanthropy at Cross River.

“At Cross River, our employees truly embody the spirit of the season all year long," said Nicole Henderson, Head of Community Affairs at Cross River.“ We’re proud to continue the tradition of giving back to provide some joy and basic necessities to those in need.”

 

About Knock Knock Give a Sock:

Knock Knock Give a Sock's mission is to humanize homelessness one sock at a time. In addition to collecting socks for those in need and hiring people living in homeless shelters to help distribute the socks, they also raise awareness about who the homeless are. The organization humanizes homelessness one sock at a time by turning transactions (collecting socks) into interactions (Meet Your Neighbor Events).