The Shauger Group Spreads Thanksgiving Cheer to Those in Need

By Alexandra Gakos

Every year, The Shauger Group gets into the holiday spirit and makes it a priority to give back to those in need in the community. The Shauger Group’s mission as an organization has always been strongly rooted in service and philanthropy: the company has continued this tradition by celebrating the 2017 holiday season with several charitable donations and projects.

On Tuesday, November 21, 2017, The Shauger Group donated approximately 130 pies to families in the City of East Orange, with The Shauger Group providing 26 pies to each of the City’s five wards. As The Shauger Group’s headquarters are located in East Orange, the company feels a special connection to the East Orange community and is invested in helping the local community and its citizens.

Also on Tuesday, The Shauger Group donated 70 pies to families at Newark’s Apostles’ House homeless shelter. During Thanksgiving week, the Shauger family will give 35 pies to families in Newark and another 100 to employees of The Shauger Group.

Earlier in November, Donald Shauger, executive vice president of The Shauger Group, teamed up with New York Jets safety Terrence Brooks and Carlo Filippone—three-time bodybuilding champion, world-renowned chef, and president of Elite Lifestyle Cuisine—to serve an early Thanksgiving meal to individuals at the Apostles’ House.

“It was priceless to see the smiles on the faces of the mothers and children,” said Shauger. “I am sure they will never forget it—and that they will be telling everyone that a New York Jets player and a famous chef served a Thanksgiving meal to them. It was a great way to start the holiday season.”

While at the Apostles’ House, Shauger also spoke to the residents about his own family’s struggles when he grew up: Shauger was raised in a single-parent home, and his mother worked six to seven days a week to care for her five children, one of whom was terminally ill. Shauger’s family often depended on the generosity of others, especially around the holidays, so Shauger will never forget to give back to others.

“Having grown up in a single-parent home, I know firsthand what it means to face a struggle day in and day out,” said Shauger. “My mother had to take care of five children by herself—and my sister was extremely sick. I’ll never forget what it was like when we received food or a thoughtful, unexpected gift—purely out of the kindness of someone else’s heart. I feel fortunate now to be able to return the favor to others and to give back to families who are in a similar position to the one my family was once in.”

The Apostles' House is very special to The Shauger Group and to the Shauger family. The Shauger Group has been very involved with the Apostles’ House over the years: the company has spearheaded two extreme makeovers of the Apostles’ House, the most recent of which took place in May 2017, and has performed countless renovation and repair projects. In the past, The Shauger Group has also made turkey donations to the shelter around Thanksgiving and other miscellaneous food donations during the holidays and throughout the year. In addition, the Shauger family has spent Christmas morning at the Apostles’ House for more than 10 years, giving the families presents and passing time with them. The Shaugers plan to continue that Christmas morning tradition again this year; it is always the Shaugers’ honor to do what they can for the Apostles’ House community, both as a family and through TSG.

Between now and the end of the year, The Shauger Group will also host a coat drive to benefit children at two East Orange schools: Langston Hughes Elementary School and Gordon Parks Academy. The Shauger Group will collect new or gently used coats for approximately 100 students in second grade through fifth grade. While coats in any youth size would be greatly appreciated, most students range from size 5 to size 14. Anyone wishing to donate coats to the coat drive can drop the coats off at The Shauger Group’s headquarters at 429 Dodd Street, East Orange, NJ 07017 and can call The Shauger Group at 973-676-2100 for more information.