Heart of Gold

A desire to “pay it forward” led a Cresskill resident to start a nonprofit that helps those faced with a life-altering crisis.

When the electricity was cut off for 10 days at the home of a woman who worked for minimum wage with a disabled husband and five children, Giants of Generosity posted the back payments and made sure PSE&G turned it back on.

When a man who was almost electrocuted on the job became confined to a wheelchair and was struggling to maneuver upon his return home, Giants of Generosity played a key role in renovating his living space, not only contributing financially but arranging for more than 40 independent contractors to donate more than $130,000 worth of their time, labor, supplies and materials to the project.

And when a man was hit head-on on Route 287, crushing him from the pelvis down, and was unable pay for Cobra, Giants of Generosity covered his insurance costs for 15 months.

The Cresskill-based nonprofit, whose mission is to provide emergency relief funding and other vitally needed services to those experiencing critical, life-altering situations, is celebrating an anniversary—10 years—and its founder, president and CEO, D. Jane Chagaris Albanese, couldn’t be more proud.

“We have helped more than 2,500 people in the past nine and a half years, right here in our own communities,” says Albanese, a Cresskill resident born and raised in Tenafly.

Albanese was going through a difficult time in her own life back in 2007. She’d recently lost her husband and had undergone a double mastectomy, only to be told afterward that she was misdiagnosed and did not actually have breast cancer. In the midst of this, she was watching an Oprah show during which the host gave audience members $1,000 and told them to “pay it forward.” It was, she says, her “ah-ha” moment to start a charity. “I knew right then and there that I needed to do something meaningful to help others in order for me to heal,” she says.

Now the organization will celebrate its anniversary at the 4th annual Food & Wine Show at the Clinton Inn on March 19. Attendees will be treated to food from local restaurants, sweet treats from Keremo Cakes in Cresskill (recent winner of Cake Wars on TV) and wines from around the world as they listen to live music and mingle. Dancers from Arthur Murray in Tenafly will perform, and a 50/50 raffle and silent auction will be held. Money raised will enable Albanese to continue her work in the community.

For more information, visit giantsofgenerocity.org.