Two charities joining forces, resources in outreach expansion

Kars4Kids teams up with Good360 to enhance donation distribution

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Jul 10, 2018, 09:00 ET

LAKEWOOD, N.J., July 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- What's better than a charity that raises millions of dollars for its beneficiaries?

ANSWER: That same charity partnering with another to help distribute donated merchandise to the public. The result is a win-win-win: for the two charities and for people in need. This new partnership is the result of an agreement between Lakewood-based Kars4Kids and Good360 of Alexandria, Va.

Kars4Kids volunteers distributing some of the 1000s of items given to members of the Lakewood community and greater Ocean County on June 12. Items distributed included supplies for teachers, seat cushions for seniors, toys, small kitchen appliances and children’s clothing.

Kars4Kids is a national, Jewish non-profit that helps children become productive members of society. In the last five years (2012-16), it has made contributions of over $76 million to its beneficiaries and has helped more than 32,000 people since 1995.

Good360, the global leader in product philanthropy and purposeful giving, helps socially responsible companies do good by distributing highly needed product donations to people facing challenging life circumstances. It does so through a global network of vetted nonprofit partners, and has helped distribute over $9 billion in products the past 35 years.

"We strongly value our partnerships with fellow nonprofit organizations like Kars4Kids," said Howard Sherman, CEO of Good360. "Through collaborative models, we can combine our resources and expertise in order to do so much more good in our communities."

Here's how it works:

Good360 receives merchandise donated by companies.
Kars4Kids picks up the goods and organizes them for distribution.
Kars4Kids distributes the products through local non-profits and directly to those in need.

"While Kars4Kids is primarily focused on youth development, mentorship and educational programs in the Jewish community, we see this as a wonderful opportunity to help the community at large," explains Wendy Kirwan, who is Kars4Kids' director of marketing and public relations. "The logistical, financial and creative resources required are well worth the impact we can make through this initiative."

One recent example of helping the community is a June 12 event in Lakewood, where Kars4Kids volunteers distributed 1000s of items. That included everything from supplies for teachers, seat cushions for seniors, toys, small kitchen appliances, children's clothing and many other household items. Photos from the event can be found here.

"It was a truly beautiful event, seeing how we were able to help so many people and seeing the happy faces and how appreciative everyone was," says Ari Finkelstein, social-media manager for Kars4Kids. "On top of that, we were gratified by the individuals who saw we could use help distributing and spontaneously decided to volunteer."