The Shaugers Brighten Up Newark’s Apostles’ House

By Alexandra Gakos and Nicholas Saraceno

December 25, 2015

On December 25, 2015, the Shaugers continued a tradition that is very dear to their hearts. Christmas morning 2015 marked the 10th year that they delivered holiday gifts to Newark’s Apostles’ House, a family emergency shelter that provides services and a caring environment to homeless and at-risk families and individuals, while ultimately guiding them to become self-sufficient.

Each year, the Apostles’ House shelters over 100 women and children. In addition to the provided shelter, it also provides daily meals, case management, substance abuse, counseling, mental health services, and recreational activities to its beneficiaries. The Apostles’ House is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This was the Shaugers’ seventh year teaming up with Steve Weatherford and his World Champion Foundation, who sponsored the continental breakfast for the families. It was also the sixth year that the Shaugers worked with New York Jets long snapper Tanner Purdum and his wife Kara, who were also joined by Jets tight end Zach Sudfeld and punter Ryan Quigley. This holiday season, they worked together to provide 11 mothers and their children with coats, along with toys, ranging from Barbie dolls to trucks.

For Donald Shauger, Executive Vice President of The Shauger Group, participating in such an event is priceless.

“Being raised in a single-parent family, I really appreciated when members of the community would lend us a hand,” said Shauger. “I was born in Newark, and I grew up in nearby West Orange. As I always say, I was not raised in West Orange, I was raised by West Orange. Years later, sharing this moment with my wife and two children is special, but having the families of the Apostles’ House unwrap their gifts in the room named after my mother brings everything full-circle. Helping others in need is a truly rewarding feeling.”

Gifts were unwrapped in the Laura Shauger Room at the Apostles’ House. The room had been dedicated on December 25, 2013, in memory of Laura Shauger, the mother of five children. During her life, Laura had made it a priority not only to provide for her own children, but also to help those in need. She never forgot the adversity she had faced; instead, that understanding fueled her desire to help those less privileged than herself, so she devoted much of her time to assisting families at the Apostles' House.

The Shaugers will continue to support the Apostles’ House for years to come.