SUEZ and Shauger Team Up for Fourth Year to Donate Turkey Meals

By Alexandra Gakos

For some people, there’s nothing better than giving back. SUEZ and The Shauger Group (TSG) understand that all too well—they’ve built their organizations on a foundation of philanthropy, and they have joined efforts as service partners intent on making the biggest difference they can.

In a continuation of their company traditions, and their joint mission as partners in service, SUEZ and TSG have teamed up for the fourth straight year to donate Thanksgiving meals to families in need. Together, they have donated 475 turkey dinners for local families across Orange, Jersey City, Hoboken, and Kearny to enjoy this Thanksgiving. In addition, TSG has distributed an additional 315 turkeys to underserved families in the communities of East Orange and Bloomfield, as well as to Bethel Christian Academy in Newark and Mt. Olive Baptist Church.

“We are so proud to keep this tradition going year after year,” said Lisa Shauger, President/CEO of TSG. “We have been donating Thanksgiving turkey dinners to local families for decades, and it has been particularly special these last few years to unite with SUEZ while doing it. SUEZ values philanthropic initiatives and community investment—the same way we do. SUEZ has an excellent reputation of doing good work in the community, and we are honored to pay it forward with them.”

“Our Thanksgiving food donation always feels really personal to me,” said Donald Shauger, Executive Vice President of TSG. “Having been raised in a single-parent household, I know and understand what it’s like for struggling families at this time of year. When I was growing up, my family was always grateful to the local church community that often made meals for my family and showed kindness to us during times when we needed support. I am lucky to be in a position today to help ease that burden for families, and I am honored we can donate holiday meals to them to make their day as special as possible. We’re grateful to SUEZ for their shared passion for this project, and we’re thankful to Lisa Elam for her hard work and dedication in coordinating it.”

The Thanksgiving meal bags include turkeys or turkey breasts; canned carrots, green beans, mixed vegetables, and corn; jars of gravy; boxed mashed potatoes; boxed turkey stuffing mix; bags of grain rice; and canned jellied cranberry sauce.

During the course of 2020, 2019, and 2018, SUEZ and TSG have donated hundreds of additional turkey dinners to the community at Thanksgiving.

“COVID especially has brought challenging times to families over the last year and a half, so knowing that we’re doing something to make people’s lives better during a trying time means the world to us,” added Donald Shauger. “On Thanksgiving Day, it’s such an amazing feeling knowing close to eight hundred families are having a Thanksgiving meal because of our dedication to pay it forward. We wish all the families a wonderful, relaxing Thanksgiving—enjoying delicious food and family time, and forgetting about the rest of their worries for the day. We truly believe in the expression ‘kindness matters.’”

About SUEZ North America

SUEZ North America operates across all 50 states and Canada with 3,000 employees dedicated to environmental sustainability and smart and sustainable resource management. The company provides drinking water, wastewater and waste collection service to 6.7 million people on a daily basis; treats 560 million gallons of water and over 440 million gallons of wastewater each day; delivers water treatment and advanced network solutions to 16,000 industrial and municipal sites; processes 160,000 tons of waste for recycling; rehabilitates and maintains water assets for more than 4,000 municipal and industrial customers; and manages $4.1 billion in total assets. The company posted revenues of $1.1 billion in 2018 and is a subsidiary of Paris-based SUEZ.

About SUEZ

With 90,000 people on the five continents, SUEZ is a world leader in smart and sustainable resource management. We provide water and waste management solutions that enable cities and industries to optimize their resource management and strengthen their environmental and economic performances, in line with regulatory standards. With the full potential of digital technologies and innovative solutions, the Group recovers 17 million tons of waste a year, produces 3.9 million tons of secondary raw materials and 7 TWh of local renewable energy. It also secures water resources, delivering wastewater treatment services to 58 million people and reusing 882 million m3 of wastewater. SUEZ generated total revenues of 18 billion euros in 2019.

About The Shauger Group

Recognized for high-quality service, hands-on management, and a family team approach, The Shauger Group offers a wide spectrum of diversified services to clients in the New York metropolitan region. Since 1981, The Shauger Group’s family-owned and operated business has earned a reputation as a leader in the industry and has fostered lasting relationships with a host of clients, vendors, and subcontractors alike. Serving clients in both the public and private sectors, The Shauger Group offers an extensive range of services, including underground utility, landscaping, street sweeping, maintenance, snow removal, emergency response, and special condo work. Known for reliability, responsiveness, and quality work, The Shauger Group has become one of the largest private employers in East Orange, New Jersey, where its state-of-the-art headquarters house over 200 company-owned vehicles and pieces of equipment, as well as a complete fleet maintenance repair facility.