Moorestown Humanitarians Of The Month Spread The Wealth

MOORESTOWN, NJ — The Joshi Family has been selected as the Moorestown Humanitarian of the Month for September 2021, and they are sharing their success with as many people as possible.

Moorestown residents who are selected as Humanitarians of the Month are able to designate a charity of their choice to receive a $1,000 donation from the Janet Knowles Charitable Foundation.

The Joshis have chosen to have their $1,000 donation split between: Live Civilly and The Unforgotten Haven.

“Giving back to the community is a core virtue we have tried to instill in both our girls from a young age,” the family said in a release from the Janet Knowles Charitable Foundation, which hands out the award. “We have absolutely loved living in Moorestown over the past 5 years and value the friendships and bonds we have built in our community.”

The family said they chose Live Civilly because they “have been inspired by their efforts over the years, especially as the organization was started by young kids in a family who saw the need to address homelessness and hunger in our community.”

They chose The Unforgotten Haven because “it is a non-profit organization that helps anyone who has been forgotten. This includes the homeless, anyone who has fallen on hard times, victims of house fires, cancer patients, terminally ill, domestic violence victims, veterans, pets left in shelters or in foster care- we have seen the quick relief and impact they had on the community recently after Hurricane Ida hit some towns nearby.”

The Joshi Family will also receive a $100 gift certificate to a Moorestown restaurant of their choice, and two tickets to a performance of the Moorestown Theater Company.

"I believe we have heroes and heroines among us that we never hear about. The goal of the award is to recognize and thank those Moorestonians who do so much to improve the welfare and happiness of other people by their selfless acts of charity," said Janet Knowles, creator of the award and 45-year Moorestown resident. "And by donating to a charity in the winner's name, the award supports continued good works. The Award Committee also thought it was important to give the winners something to enjoy, so they'll get to dine out at a local restaurant and see a show courtesy of the Moorestown Theater Company."

The Moorestown Humanitarian of the Month Award is awarded each month, by Janet Knowles and a committee of six prominent Moorestonians:

• Ann Baiada (Bayada Home Health Care),
• Mark Morgan (Moorestown Theater Company),
• Caryn Lynch (Community House of Moorestown),
• Dan Posternock (Posternock Appell, PC) and
• Rick Williams (6abc Philadelphia).

The Award Committee will meet again in early September to select the next Moorestown Humanitarian of the Month. The following guidelines are set for award nominees:

• Nominees must be a resident of Moorestown Township at the time of their nomination.
• Nominee's humanitarian work need not be confined to Moorestown.
• Nominees' humanitarian work and service activities should be unrelated to their employment.
• Individuals with an active candidacy for political office or for the Moorestown Board of Education are not eligible for the award.
• Nominees may be an individual, a couple or a family that resides in Moorestown. Once someone has received the award, they will not be eligible for future nomination.
• Employees of the Knowles Teacher Initiative and their families are not eligible for nomination.
• Nominations can be made online using this form. The form can also be mailed to: Moorestown Humanitarian of the Month, P.O. Box 826Moorestown, NJ 08057.