Donald Shauger Honored by Newark Housing Association's Foundation

by Alexandra Gakos

On October 5, 2020, Donald Shauger was honored by the Newark Housing Authority Scholarship Foundation (NHASF) at their 12th Annual Golf Classic. Presented with the NHASF’s Appreciation Award at the event, Shauger was recognized for “his commitment to supporting quality education for the City of Newark’s youth.”

The Shaugers and The Shauger Group have been longtime supporters and corporate sponsors of the Newark Housing Authority (NHA) and the NHA’s scholarship foundation. Helping youth in need, the foundation offers financial aid to ambitious, hardworking students who reside in public, supported housing—students who are committed to working hard to earn a college degree. The Shaugers have served as yearly sponsors of the NHASF’s Golf Classic since its inception in 2008, proudly supporting the NHASF’s mission to help those deserving students.

“My wife, Lisa, and I are so passionate about giving to Newark Housing Authority’s foundation,” said Shauger, Executive Vice President of The Shauger Group (TSG). “I never expected to be acknowledged for what we do. It means a lot to me to be recognized as this year’s honoree. We are always proud to pay it forward and give the younger generation the best possible opportunities for a bright, successful future.”

“I’ve known Don since the mid- to late nineties,” said Victor Cirilo, Executive Director of the NHA. “He’s always been a treasure. Good person. Good heart. Good family. I’m really happy he’s being honored.”

At this year’s golf classic, eight students were awarded financial scholarships toward their college education: Imoya Brooks, Shakon Cummings, Kasandra Maldonado, Leila Delaney, Tasawn Roberts, Aniya Saunders, Zahmir Johnson, and Anamaire Bueno. The eight students, who all reside in NHA housing, received $40,000 total in scholarships.

An impressive group of students, this year’s scholarship recipients already have remarkable experience and career aspirations: a few students are eager to pursue nursing and medical degrees, believing the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of careers in the medical field; another would like to become a lawyer in order to create a nonprofit that aids low-income Newark families; another took on a great amount of responsibility at a young age, after her mother suffered a disability; many have volunteer experience, including helping out at a homeless shelter; and others plan to give back to the community by going into service-oriented fields, such as social work and criminal justice.

As part of the application process for an NHASF scholarship, students submit their high school transcript, standardized test (SAT/ACT) scores, a completed FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application, two recommendation letters, a college acceptance letter, and a 300-word personal statement. Students must also be on a lease to be eligible, so they must show proof of a current lease.

Since it was founded in 1988, the NHASF has awarded more than $2.5 million in scholarships to date—to a total of over 500 students. The scholarships help defray the costs of college for students in financial need; those students are “often the first in their family to attend college and break the cycle of poverty,” according to the NHASF.

Last month’s NHASF golf outing, which was held at Essex County Country Club in West Orange, began with lunch in the late morning. The tournament kicked off midday; it was followed by a cocktail reception honoring this year’s student scholarship winners, as well as Shauger as this year’s event honoree.

“He’s one of New Jersey’s great humanitarians,” said Anibal Ramos, Jr., North Ward Councilman for the City of Newark, New Jersey. “He’s someone who’s always there whenever the community needs him. I’m personally grateful to Donnie for all of his support over the years. I know how much he cares about young people, and he took great pride in participating in today’s golf outing.”

“Don Shauger is the best,” said Anthony Ambrose, Director of Newark’s Department of Public Safety. “He’s a good businessman, a good person, a good human being. He has a heart of gold. He loves to help people.”

Also in attendance at this year’s event was Charmaine Turner, a former NHASF scholarship recipient. After Turner met the Shaugers and they offered her a job, Turner worked at TSG throughout her college years, helping TSG’s Human Resources/Compliance and Accounts Payable/Receivable departments during the summers and while on breaks from school. A recent graduate, Turner studied sociology during her undergraduate years before pursuing her master’s degree. She credits the NHASF scholarship—and the Shaugers and TSG—with giving her the support she needed to help her both at school and in life.

“With the scholarship from Housing, it’s been a big help—the scholarship itself was kind of that assistance needed to get books, the assistance to get gas, to live outside of what the school was offering,” said Turner. “And The Shauger Group was really supportive, ready to give me any help I needed at the drop of a dime. I go to The Shauger Group and I feel at home. I mean, you have to feel some type of family—at home—to work for them for this amount of time.”

To show his dedication to the NHASF and the students it serves, Shauger made a special announcement during his keynote speech at the NHASF Golf Classic: he and Lisa Shauger, President/CEO of TSG, will pay off half of Turner’s student debt from college.

“We are extremely proud of this young lady,” said Shauger. “Today we are going to pay fifty percent of her student loans. She has nothing to worry about—we’re going to take care of that.”

“Lisa and I are proud to invest in future generations,” added Shauger. “When you see someone as kind, dedicated, and hardworking as Charmaine and you’re in a position to help—to do something that will go a long way to making a difference in her future—it’s a no-brainer. She deserves to be able to put the best foot forward, and we are honored to play a part in helping her excel in her career and her life.”

Shauger provided an inspirational message to this year’s NHASF scholarship recipients:

Life is full of challenges and struggles that test us, but it’s important to never let them get in the way of your hopes, dreams, and goals. Every day that you work hard, believe in yourself, and take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way, you are one step closer to achieving the success you want in your life. Life was a struggle day in and day out for my family when I was young—I was raised by a single mother who sacrificed every day, working six to seven days a week to put food on the table for my three brothers, my sister, and me. I saw her fierce work ethic driven by her love for our family, and it fueled my desire to always work hard, never let obstacles get in my way, and provide my family with the best life possible. In my youth, I was never afraid to be the hardest worker in the room—shining shoes, landscaping for neighbors, you name it—and any success I had, I worked continuously to build upon it, a little at a time. Over time, hard work turned my tiny “Don’s Landscaping” wagon into The Shauger Group, one of the largest private companies in all of East Orange—but I’ve never forgotten where I came from, and now that I’m in a position to help others, I will never hesitate to pay it forward and do anything I can to make someone else’s life better. When you work hard, take advantage of a good education and other opportunities, and surround yourself with the right people, it opens countless doors to a bright future.

The Shaugers have long been committed to supporting educational opportunities for students, whether by supporting education-related foundations, founding their own scholarship funds, or providing individual scholarships to students in need. In 2014, the Shaugers established the Timothy Groves Memorial Scholarship with the West Orange Scholarship Fund in memory of their friend, former West Orange police officer Timothy Groves, who passed away from cancer. The Timothy Groves Memorial Scholarship aids students in financial need who are committed to community service and volunteerism. The Shaugers regularly donate to the scholarship fund and raise money annually for the scholarship through various fundraising activities, such as fundraiser dinners and fundraiser raffles. A total of 49 students have received financial scholarships through the Timothy Groves Memorial Scholarship since its inception, most recently in June 2020.

A few years ago, the Shaugers started the Shauger Family Scholarship at the University of Scranton, helping students with the financial burden of college by giving them financial support for educational opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom. The Shaugers also supported University of Scranton students through Scranton’s International Service Program. In late 2019 and early 2020, the Shaugers also gave $2,000 in scholarships to Immaculate Conception High School in Montclair in memory of Donald’s mother; the Shaugers have also provided miscellaneous other scholarships to students, including two $1,000 scholarships to East Orange High School students in 2015. In 2013, the Shaugers attended the United Negro College Fund’s annual Mayor’s Masked Ball fundraiser dinner, where they met a student from Newark who had recently lost her father in Hurricane Sandy. After learning the girl’s scholarship from the United Negro College Fund did not cover the entire cost of the student’s college education, the Shaugers not only paid for the balance of her education, but they also offered her a job at TSG, where she worked throughout college as she studied to be a nurse.

As Shauger aptly put it, “At the end of the day, every one of us should look in the mirror and remember we are only as good as what we do for others.”

Shauger’s award at the NHASF Golf Classic was the second major honor for him this year. Earlier this fall, the Shaugers were honored by WomenRising, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that helps women and children in need, as the SUEZ Corporate Partner Award recipients at WomenRising’s Celebration of Service Gala. In December, Shauger will also round out the year as the 2020 Community Service Business Award Honoree at the Giblin Association’s annual Community Service Awards and Charity Breakfast.

For more on Donald Shauger’s recognition by the NHASF, click here to watch a video chronicling the day's events.