Borgata Blog

Archives for December 2020

12 Days of Giving: AMVETS Post 911

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American Veterans (AMVETS) Post 911’s mission is to serve  veterans, troops and their families, as well as their communities.  Borgata is thrilled to support the Post and AMVETS Department of NJ during the 12 Days of Giving campaign.  The resort donated 60 kits to Veterans in need throughout the community., including winter hats, socks, and toiletry items like soap, shaving cream, toothbrush/paste, deodorant, and shampoo, among other essentials.  James Spreng, State Commander of AMVETS Department of NJ, and Fred Vineyard, AMVETS Post 911 1st Vice, AMVETS Post 911 Past Cmdr. and AMVETS Legislative Director, discussed the work of the Post and Borgata’s gift.

Give us a broad overview of what your organization does and how it helps the public?

Spreng: We help keep the public informed of the sacrifices of our Veterans past and present and thank everyone for their support of our mission to assist Veterans.

Vineyard: Post 911 serves our Military, Veterans and Citizens in need.

How has Covid impacted those that rely on our organization for support?

Spreng: Covid-19 has greatly impacted us as well as all Veterans organizations in providing for our Veterans.  It has also affected the socialism for our veterans as there is a special bond amongst veterans and the military which is hard for non-military to understand.

Vineyard: This virus has also hurt our fundraisers and grants due to many NJ citizens being out of work and local businesses closing. 

How will Borgata’s holiday gift help serve your constituents?

Spreng: The gift will help our Veterans and let them know they are still being thought of and shows the thanks from the community.

Vineyard:  We will provide your donations to our veterans in need.  This will help them during this stressful time.

For those reading about our organization and wanting to help, what can they do?

Spreng:  As an organization, we survive on donations.  Many needs of our Veterans are not covered by the VA.  Our highest need is donations to help our veterans with many things. For instance, one that I am proud of is assisting our Veterans and their families who are suffering from PTSD.  Donations can be made to P.O. Box 413, Somers Point, NJ  08244 or online at  www.amvets-nj.org

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Spreng: Cooking Christmas dinner for my family.

Vineyard: Providing care packages to our local troops and assisting our veterans.

For more information about AMVETS, or to learn how to get involved, please visit www.amvetpost911nj.com.

 

12 Days of Giving: The Center for Family Services

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Borgata is thrilled to support The Center for Family Services during the resort’s 12 Days of Giving campaign. The Center For Family Services is an innovative non-profit organization dedicated to improving lives.  Borgata donated 220 duffle bags for the Center’s “Duffle Bag Project,” providing luggage for children transitioning from emergency housing to their long-term home.

With services across New Jersey and a history dating back to 1920, The Center For Family Services is committed to uplifting individuals and families through an innovative continuum of care.  Each year, more than 300 children and teens find temporary safe housing at The Center for Family Services. During their stay, children are provided with a stable foundation that allows them to heal, grow, and experience joy. Services help to instill confidence and self-worth, empowering youth to pave their path to a better life and brighter future. The Duffle Bag Project provides kids with a sensible means to transport their belongings as they transition to a caring home.

Whether it’s a child who is ready for preschool, a young person in need of the support of a mentor, a teen without a safe place to call home, a family facing the trauma of domestic violence, a person seeking help for an addiction, or a family in crisis, The Center for Family Services’ dedicated staff are there to help. They heal, educate, and protect children and families. Their goal is to break the cycle of poverty, violence, trauma, and addiction and to help people to overcome obstacles, to find comfort, and to build the foundation for a successful future.

 For more information on Center for Family Services, visit their website.

12 Days of Giving: The Arc of Atlantic County

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The Arc of Atlantic County is a leading provider of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through direct services, advocacy, education, and prevention activities, the organization works in partnership with individuals and their families to make choices possible about how and where they live, learn, play, and work. Borgata is thrilled to support The Arc of Atlantic County and their mission this holiday with a donation of ten $100 grocery gift cards to support their clients to help them continue to live independently.  We spoke with Mary Ruley Moyer, Director of Development and Community Outreach at The Arc of Atlantic County, to find out more about the great work that the organization is doing in the community.

Give us a broad overview of what your organization does and how it helps the public?  The Arc of Atlantic County provides support and services to l,000 people in Southern New Jersey living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Our mission is to improve the lives of people with I/DD in our community. Through direct services, advocacy, education and prevention activities, we work in partnership with individuals and their families to make choices possible about how and where they live, learn, play and work.

How has the current Covid health crisis impacted those that rely on your organization for support? Throughout the public health emergency, our most crucial services have operated ‘business as usual’ providing care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This could not have been done without the dedication and commitment of our Direct Support Professionals (DSP). When many in our community were staying home or working from home, every day, our devoted DSP’s were leaving the safety of their homes and risking their own health, to provide service and support to the people and families who rely on their work. As essential workers, these heroes deserve our recognition, admiration, and thanks.  Our Day Habilitation Center offers people with I/DD the opportunity to engage in community and center-based activities that allow them to develop socialization skills, build friendships and  make community connections. Sadly, we have not been able to offer this service due to the social distancing limits put on the amount of people who are permitted to gather in a single space.

How will Borgata’s current holiday gift help you serve your constituents?  Each year, we hold our “Holiday Partners” project, and receive letters of interest from people/families who have a financial need, asking for assistance to help purchase holiday gifts and food to ensure their holidays are a little brighter. This year, 150 people were impacted, receiving Walmart Gift Cards so they could do their holiday shopping from the safety of their home or limiting contact as needed.  Borgata has been a generous community partner in past years to the Holiday Partners Project, providing financial resources, as well as in-kind items to people in our services. Borgata’s talented chefs have even provided delicious holiday cookies and other sweet treats!

For those who are reading about your organization and want to help, what can they do or donate?  What would be the most useful ways to contribute?  We have several ways that people can help:  they can make a donation; they can donate to our Holiday Partners Project; or they can purchase a Remarcable Raffle Ticket.  They can also shop The Arc Makes Cents Thrift Shops in Egg Harbor Township and Ventnor, send Hope Notes to people in our residential service, or become a Member and stay up to date on advocacy efforts and information

What is your favorite holiday tradition?  My favorite holiday tradition is the gift of spending time with my husband and family, enjoying simple pleasures of the holidays like baking cookies, listening to music and enjoying Christmas lights and decorations!

For more information about The Arc, or to learn how to get involved, please visit www.thearcatlantic.org. 

12 Days of Giving: Humane Society of Atlantic County

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This season, our furry friends shouldn’t be forgotten!  That’s why Borgata is teaming up with The Humane Society of Atlantic County to provide 250 pounds of dog and cat food, as well as toys and cleaning supplies, during the resort’s 12 Days of Giving campaign.

The Humane Society of Atlantic County is a private, non-profit organization that relies on supporter donations. Their mission is to curb pet over-population through their clinic’s spay and neuter programs, increase the number of animals adopted into loving homes through their shelter, provide a safe and caring environment for animals that are lost or strayed, and to serve as a resource for humane animal education within the community.

The Humane Society of Atlantic County was established as an Animal Shelter in 1968. They strive to improve and protect the lives of companion animals by promoting healthy relationships between pets and people.  The organization’s successful adoption programs give them the ability to open their doors to thousands of animals facing euthanasia due to overcrowding or lack of resources in other shelters, not only locally, but all over the United States. Their Shelter Outreach Program also enables them to offer a greater variety of animals to their adoption clients.

For more information, or to learn how to get involved, please visit www.humanesocietyac.org. 

12 Days of Giving: AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center

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Frontline healthcare workers deserve praise, thanks, and comfort this holiday season, especially during the COVID health pandemic.  That’s why Borgata is thrilled to announce that they’ll be bringing holiday joy to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center on Christmas Eve, part of the resort’s 12 Days of Giving campaign.  Borgata will donate 100 individual, pre-packaged meals prepared by the resort’s award-winning culinary team to be enjoyed by the overnight shift of first-responders at AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, ensuring that they have a delicious and thoughtful holiday meal.

AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center’s Atlantic City campus serves as the resort destination’s first hospital, founded in 1898. For more than a century, ARMC has remained a regional leader in acute care services. AtlantiCare aims to attain high levels of quality in  clinical care, patient safety and service. The organization delivers superior quality and value, helping people achieve optimal health. AtlantiCare’s values of integrity, respect, safety, service and teamwork guide them in fulfilling their commitment to the community and their patients.

For more information about AtlantiCare, or to learn how to get involved, please visit www.atlanticare.org. 

12 Days of Giving: Covenant House Atlantic City

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Borgata is proud to support Covenant House during our 12 Days of Giving. Covenant House New Jersey provides comprehensive residential care and related services to help New Jersey’s youth who have suffered from abuse, neglect, abandonment, homelessness, and human trafficking build a life for themselves that is good.  We talked with Jen Williams, Covenant House Atlantic City’s Senior Manager of Development, about the impact of Covenant House in the South Jersey community.

Give us a broad overview of what your organization does and how it helps the public? Covenant House serves youth facing homeliness, with an emphasis on those who are 18-21.  These are youths who have aged out of childcare systems, but don’t really belong with the homeless adult population.  They’re college age students, which is not a population that a lot of people think of when they think of homeless.  Here in New Jersey, specifically in Atlantic City, we’ve been operating since 1989.  We have a 28 bed facility that serves single men, single women, and mothers with children.  The end in mind of the program is to address the barriers as to why youth come to us.  They might arrive here due to family background, addiction, or trafficking.  Our youth have to do something in the program to move forward—there has to be a “co-created plan.”  We set the table and make sure that it is not a cookie cutter program.  Under our roof, we have Dove Learning Center, which focuses on five key areas that have been proven through studies to build resilience and help prevent homelessness from reoccurring: education, employment, financial literacy, social navigation, and wellness (physical, emotional, and spiritual).  We also offer a legal team, a licensed clinical social worker, and addiction management.  We also help with simple things, like helping youth get a State ID or birth certificate.  It’s the nuts and bolts. We do it all with absolute respect and unconditional love.  We become the meaningful adult in a youth person’s life.  Relationship building is the hallmark of what we do.

How has the current COVID health crisis impacted those that rely on your organization for support?  In the very beginning, it put our youth on pause.  Many of the jobs that our young people would normally get, like in retail or in the casinos, were put on pause.  Our youth were in a holding pattern.  However, we never had to close.  It has progressively gotten better.  COVID has also presented some logistical challenges.  We want to ensure that we are providing a safe environment, so we’ve had to develop protocols: mask wearing, temperature taking, hand washing, and keeping socially distant.  We’ve adapted and our youth are resilient. 

How will Borgata’s current holiday gift help you serve your constituents?  Many of our youth come to the shelter having lost things along the way, so Borgata’s coat donation is a welcome need.  Our kids need to stay warm, and the jackets help provide  comfort.  The donation of the Bluetooth beanies are great, too.  If you think of what college-age youth want for the holidays, it’s usually something technical and cool.  We also really find the holiday meal created by Borgata’s chefs a comfort. For the youth, it’s something new. The fact that a major casino in their backyard thought of them and that they wanted them to have a special meal on Christmas Eve, affirms that they have not been forgotten. 

For those who are reading about your organization and want to help, what can they do or donate?  What would be the most useful?  We have a Amazon Wishlist and it is not just for Christmas.  We can use the items on that list all year long. Also, a monetary donation goes a very long way so we can keep the lights on and the doors open. 

What is your favorite holiday tradition?  Each year, we make sure we have a Santa who visits, especially for our mothers with children.  It’s a holiday tradition for so many other families, and we want to provide that experience for our constituents. Our Santas have changed throughout the year.  This year, we have a donor who will be visiting as Santa virtually with some elves.  It’s a nice tradition that we’ve always had, and of course, the little ones are over the moon.  Santa came to Coveant House!  The fact that they aren’t forgotten goes a very long way

For more information about Covenant House, or to learn how to get involved, please visit www.covenanthouse.org

Vintage Petit Boutique at Borgata

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Wine and cheese; the perfect pair! Enjoy a bottle of your choice with some savory treats to go along with it. Vintage Petit Boutique located in The Living Room is now offering to-go boxes containing all of your charcuterie favorites.
Welcome to a wine experience made to suit everyone. You’ll have plenty of choices and can learn something new every time in our friendly, wine boutique. Be sure to try our Maison Bonne Chance specialty wine, exclusive to the Borgata.
Pick up a bottle of wine and a charcuterie box before heading up to your guest room with our new pop-up shop exclusively for hotel guests. Vintage Petit Boutique is conveniently located in The Living Room.

12 Days of Giving: Community FoodBank of New Jersey

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Borgata is thrilled to announce a donation to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey during their 12 Days of Giving campaign.  The resort donated 120 frozen turkeys as well as a much needed pallet jack for the organization’s local warehouse in Southern New Jersey.  Additionally, due to the national coin shortage, Borgata gave its guests the option of dropping their receipts for less than $1.00 into a donation box benefitting the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. Thanks to many of Borgata’s guests, the resort was able to donate $20,000 to the FoodBank this month. Since Sept. 17, our guests have donated $41,543.12 to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey’s Southern Branch.

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey is the state’s largest anti-hunger and anti-poverty organization. Working together with volunteers, donors and their many partners, the FoodBank fills the emptiness caused by hunger with food, help, and hope. The FoodBank works to fight hunger and poverty in New Jersey by assisting those in need and seeking long-term solutions, and by engaging, educating, and empowering all sectors of society in the battle.  We chatted with Denise Hladun from the FoodBank to discuss the impact of Borgata’s gift on the organization.

Give us a broad overview of what your organization does and how it helps the public? ​ CFBNJ is the state’s largest anti-hunger, anti-poverty organization. We fight hunger and poverty in New Jersey by assisting those in need and seeking long-term solutions. We work to fill the emptiness caused by hunger with Food, Help and Hope.

How has the current Covid health crisis impacted those that rely on your organization for support? ​COVID-19 has significantly impacted those who rely on our organization.  New Jersey is expected to see a 56% increase in food insecurity, more than 10% higher than the national average and those of our neighboring states.  Locally, we are lead the state in food insecurity due to the high unemployment.

How will Borgata’s current holiday gift help you serve your constituents? Borgata’s gift of a new pallet jack will enable our dedicated warehouse crew operate more efficiently when moving food to and from the warehouse.

For those who are reading about your organization and want to help, what can they do or donate?  What would be the most useful ways to contribute?  The most useful way to contribute is a financial donation which allows us to purchase exactly what is needed.  Our purchasing power allows us to provide 3 nutritious meals for every dollar donated.

What is your favorite holiday tradition?  My favorite holiday tradition is visiting New York City to see the tree at Rockefeller Center and the department store windows.  I spent many years working in NYC and always loved all the city had to offer during the holidays.

For more information about the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, or to learn how to get involved, please visit www.cfbnj.org.  

12 Days of Giving: CONTACT Cape-Atlantic

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Borgata is proud to support CONTACT Cape-Atlantic during our 12 Days of Giving.  CONTACT Cape-Atlantic originally started in 1973 as a crisis line, but by 2005, they organization knew they were more valuable to the community as a telephone reassurance service.  Their mission was changed to focus on serving the elderly and disabled with a daily telephone call. The telephone Reassurance Program dates back to 1987.  We talked with Mary Jo Bernardo, CONTACT’s Executive Director, about the impact of the organization in the South Jersey community.

Give us a broad overview of what your organization does and how it helps the public?

CONTACT Cape-Atlantic provides telephone reassurance and community support for older adults, people with disabilities and those who are lonely, living alone, or feeling isolated from their community.  The Telephone Reassurance Program provides daily telephone calls to older adults and people with disabilities living alone in Atlantic and Cape May counties. We offer a friendly hello and check-in to make sure all is well with our client. The program goal is to help the individual continue their independent living. 9 out of 10 people want to age at home.  By offering this service free of charge, CONTACT addresses the harmful impact of loneliness on health outcomes by providing warm and caring connections.  We help more than 200 people every day. That’s over 70,000 calls per year!

How has the current Covid health crisis impacted those that rely on your organization for support?

Several of our clients have contracted the virus.  Day programs have temporarily closed; therefore, those who attended during the day are without in-person activities.  Additionally, family visits have diminished and more people are experiencing isolation and loneliness.  Loneliness and isolation are leading causes of both mental and physical decline for older adults and people with disabilities.

How will Borgata’s current contribution of 260 holiday cards for CONTACT participants, as well as four new cordless phones and one new laptop for CONTACT’s office help you serve your constituents?

Our clients live alone and many are isolated and lonely. Receiving a holiday card from the Borgata will warm their hearts, reminding them someone cares.  Our program is built on phone communication and silly as it might seem, our office phones are old and tired. We receive complaints that callers can’t hear us and sometimes we can’t hear them. The buttons stick and sometimes it’s a challenge to push the answer button. The new phones donated by will definitely help our clients talk with us!  Also, the new laptop from Borgata will improve our productivity and the safety and security of our information. We have a small two person paid staff and the rest are volunteers. Every effort is made to improve operational efficiency, including necessary upgrades to our use of technology.

For those who are reading about your organization and want to help, what can they do or donate?  What would be the most useful?

Donations are so appreciated. No amount is too small to help us help others. Please visit us at http://www.contactcapeatlantic.org/.

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Enjoying the Italian Christmas Eve menu with family: there’s many kinds of fish, Grandma Bernardo’s jardinière, and other recipes, with Italian struffoli for dessert.

12 Days of Giving: Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City

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Borgata is proud to support the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City during our 12 Days of Giving. The Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City strives to achieve excellence as a youth service organization, encompassing their core beliefs: to provide young people with life-enhancing programs, character development opportunities, and ongoing relationships with caring adult professionals. The Club is also home to the MGM Resorts International Teen Center for Economic Youth Development and College Readiness.   We talked with Renate Taylor, the Center’s Chief

Development Officer, about the impact of Boys & Girls Club in the South Jersey community.

Give us a broad overview of what your organization does and how it helps the public?

The Boys & Girls Club serves over 1,300 youth across the 48 blocks of Atlantic City. BGCAC is currently open for full day services (8am to 8pm), providing the children of Atlantic City with a safe haven while the Atlantic City School District offers virtual learning, due to COVID-19. The Drexel and Chelsea Clubs are open for before-school care, then from 8:30am to 2pm, individual learning spaces and academic support are provided, helping children to participate in their virtual curriculum. During school breaks, children are provided snacks, meals and opportunities for outdoor recreation and mentoring with our staff. Our Teen Center continues to provide after school programming (3pm to 8pm), focusing on workforce development and our three career pathways: STEAM, Hospitality and Healthcare.  The Teen Center also provides snacks and warm meals, as well as mentoring, homework help, academic enrichment, STEAM education, and social recreation activities such as Music & Video Recording, and Esports.  

How has the current Covid health crisis impacted those that rely on your organization for support?

Support from our community has been utilized to continue our strict sanitation efforts needed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, keeping our Club Kids, and staff, safe and healthy during this difficult time. Clearly, we did not budget for the financial impact of COVID-19 compliance, which has stretched our budget to its limits. We are actively purchasing hand sanitizers, and PPE materials, in addition to the implementation of nightly deep cleaning of all three clubs each evening.  Also, the Club was previously an afterschool program open from 3 until 8pm.  We are now open 8am to 8pm, providing a space for children to attend virtual school with support from our staff, along with snacks, meals and recreational time.

In addition to a $5,000 donation supporting the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City’s Holiday Heroes Giving Campaign, Borgata team members volunteered to wrap all gifts purchased off the Club’s Amazon Wishlist by the local community, as well as sewed 160 face masks for the Club’s students.

How will Borgata’s current holiday gift help you serve your constituents?

Borgata’s gift will help support our COVID-19 compliance efforts, as well as help support our full–day care efforts, ensuring that any child in need has access to a safe learning environment, and warm, nutritious meals.

For those who are reading about your organization and want to help, what can they do or donate?  What would be the most useful?

We need of financial donations which will ensure we hit our goal of raising $200,000 to help fill the unseen gap in funding due to the COVID-19 pandemic. More information can be found at www.acbgc.org/donate/

What is your favorite holiday tradition?

BGCAC has a long tradition of celebrating the multicultural diversity of Atlantic City. Our children speak 26 different languages and celebrate 26 different cultures across the 48 blocks!

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