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VUE | Holiday 2017

The Digest | New Jersey Magazine

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ased in New Jersey, their mission is to provide aid to local veterans, their families, as well as to homeless shelters around the country. Brenner named the company after her late husband and his brother, who both served in the military. The idea to start her own non- profit, Brenner said, was inspired by the folding cots her family-run metal company produces for the U.S. Army. "In shelters, they don't always have the funding for clean or new cots. It's very sad and it pushed me to make a change." Brenner has since donated her own time, money and resources to combating this crisis. The foundation is her way of opening a dialogue that addresses the needs of our veterans and reconnects the homeless with their communities. The Care Bag Program is just one initiative that Brenner started in order to raise awareness and provide relief for those in need. The program was designed to encourage students, individuals and groups to get involved by creating care packages to be delivered to local homeless shelters. The program collects personal items such as deodorant, toothbrushes, socks, hand sanitizer, water bottles, juice boxes and snacks. So far, the Brenner Foundation has supplied care bags to shelters in Newark, Lawrenceville, Brown Mills, Morristown, Hazlet and Sussex. "We put together these little backpacks and then go visit the homeless shelters," Brenner said. "I usually bring five or six people with me and we help serve lunch and hand out the care bags. We brought a few of our own children along with us over the summer and noticed that they really loved participating and having that leadership experience. Once we realized that this could be a potential kids program we started introducing it to school systems." Currently, Grant Beacon Middle School in Denver, Colorado has been the first school to pick up the Brenner Foundation's Care Bag Program with over 700 care bags to be distributed three times over the next year. Brenner Foundation also had the unique opportunity to participate in LA and New York Style Fashion Week this fall, a platform which allowed the organization to introduce themselves on a national level as well as promote their mission to motivate, inspire, encourage and support our veterans and the homeless. Style Fashion Week is known for presenting the season's must-see shows, unforgettable live performances and exclusive art and design installations. During Brenner's event, models rocked the runway wearing military-inspired looks that would later be auctioned off as funding for the foundation. Since the non-profit's launch in mid-2017, Brenner Foundation has also partnered with Project:NOW, a national charity organization in its own right. Founded by actor and producer Dale Godboldo, Project:NOW is an initiative that supports mentorship and addresses the educational needs of at-risk youth in America. In partnership with Brenner Foundation, both Godboldo and Brenner hope to better the lives of our nation's children and get them involved in their own charity efforts early on. "One of the things that got me excited about what Christine is doing is that she's getting right to the heart of [what people need]. Not only just young people, but their families as well," Godboldo said. "This has to do with affecting generational change so that the generations to come don't have the same issues. Essentially we're changing the trajectory of these kids' lives and that really hits close to home for me." For someone like Brenner who grew up in a military family, providing aid to others is something that just comes naturally. And in terms of her own business and self-started non-profit, Brenner hopes to provide humanitarian support, disaster relief equipment, critical infrastructure, triage services and health care processes to those in need. "Charity is your time, your heart and your kindness," Brenner explained. "It's not always about money or supplies it's sometimes just listening to somebody or giving a hug." Through an abundance of opportunities and hands-on programs put forward by the Brenner Foundation, the organization has provided a local and national platform for people of all ages to help out in any way they can. To learn more and donate, visit brennerfoundation.org or call 973-778-2466 Left to Right: Dale Godboldo, Christine Brenner, Kim Depaola VUE ON GIVING V U E N J . C O M 91 .

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