About Candlelight
Founded in 2007, the Alger Candlelight Giving Committee is an employee-supported program with the mission of giving back to the community and those less fortunate. Our employees proudly support numerous charities and non-profit organizations through donations and active volunteering. The Committee was founded with the goal of creating worthwhile and meaningful volunteer experiences for employees. We also encourage employees to donate to personal causes of their choosing through Alger’s Matching Program.
Most recent charitable events:
Blood Drive with New York Blood Center
In June 2024, more than 30 Alger employees donated blood in collaboration with the New York Blood Center. The drive was held in honor of 35 colleagues lost on 9/11, and in memory of Doreen Galante who was one of our founding Candlelight Committee members. As the nationwide blood supply for hospitals has dipped low, we were eager to help.
Food Rescue Tour with Rescuing Leftover Cuisine (“RLC”)
In June 2024, 20 Alger employees took part in our inaugural food rescue tour, teaming up with RLC, an organization dedicated to redistributing surplus food to those in need. The group collected over 50 pounds of food and personally delivered it to the Bowery Mission for immediate use. Making a positive impact in our local community, where we both live and work, is always incredibly fulfilling.
City Harvest Produce Repack
To commemorate Alger’s 60th anniversary, Alger served as a sponsor of City Harvest’s “Share Lunch Fight Hunger” campaign. Each year, thousands of corporations and individuals in New York City join Share Lunch Fight Hunger with the goal of raising awareness and crucial funds to help City Harvest rescue and deliver nutritious food for families during the summer months, when access to free school meals may become limited. In May 2024, a group of 40 Alger employees participated in a repack project with City Harvest. With the power of our volunteers, thousands of pounds of produce were repacked from large, bulk containers into smaller, family-sized units that community food programs can easily distribute. We are proud of the work that City Harvest does in its mission to end hunger in communities throughout New York City.
God’s Love We Deliver (“GLWD”) Kitchen Prep
During the summer of 2024, over 40 Alger volunteers helped to cook and package hundreds of delicious and nutritious medically tailored meals for individuals living with severe and chronic illnesses who are too sick to shop or cook themselves. GLWD’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of people living with serious illnesses by alleviating hunger and malnutrition. They prepare and deliver high-quality meals to people who, because of their illness, are unable to provide or prepare meals for themselves.
Billion Oyster Project (“BOP”) Reef Restoration
During the summer of 2023, a group of 30 Alger employees traveled to Governors Island to assist with BOP’s oyster conservation program. Volunteers helped to build oyster reef structures, prepare shells for the oyster hatchery, and count and sort oyster communities. We are excited to support BOP as they continue their important mission of restoring oyster reefs to New York Harbor through educational initiatives.
