As a former home-building mogul and bank founder, Ross Wishnick has covered a lot of ground in his working life, though his true achievements shine through his service to his surrounding communities. Mr. Wishnick was a member of (2009 to 2020) and chaired the Princeton Human Services Commission, which provides services to youths and seniors in general assistance and advocacy for this segment of the local population. As part of this Commission, Mr. Wishnick took the lead on founding Send Hunger Packing Princeton (2013-present), which provides fresh produce for students and families requesting participation.  SHUPP has grown to now include access to raised bed gardens throughout Princeton and Free Pantries constantly being restocked with shelf stable food, accessible 24 hours per day also located in number of locations throughout Princeton.  Mr. Wishnick was also a member of the advisory board of the Princeton Education Foundation (PEF) (2010-2013). PEF supports excellence in Princeton Regional Schools by contributing raised funds for capital improvements, educational programs and teacher support. Ross Wishnick is a founding board member of The Bank of Princeton and has served as a vice Chairman since the bank’s founding in 2007.  Most recently Mr. Wishnick has joined the board of Isles, a Trenton based non-profit founded in 1981.  Its mission is to help support and sustain self-reliant individuals and families and healthy sustainable communities.

Hindu-Jewish Coalition

Mission – Building meaningful relationships between Hindu and Jewish communities on shared interests in political, religious, social, and other relevant areas through ongoing communications, meetings, events, and advocacy activities

HJC is a coalition created in 2013 by Rajiv Malhotra, Raghu Rao, Pinakin Pathak, Michael Feldstein and Marc Citron with a vision to create a unique multicultural collaboration. With a mission that features diversity appreciation, the HJC recognizes the shared interests of Hindu and Jewish people by taking action on shared initiatives. HJC celebrates an 11-year partnership of equals, of two strong and vibrant communities.

Award accepted by Marc Citron and Fal Pandya.

Marc Citron – HJC Founder Marc Citron is the former Resident Managing Partner at the Princeton office of Saul Ewing LLC.

Marc is extremely community-minded having served on the Boards of: B’nai B’rith, the Jewish Center, Greenwood House for the Aged, Bayonne Medical Center Foundation, JFK Medical Center Foundation, Sustainable New Jerey, Eden Autism and received the National Judge Learned Hand Award from AJC New Jersey.

Fal Pandya – A passionate advocate for human dignity, focusing her efforts on promoting education, yoga, mental resilience through meditation, and the importance of cultural and interfaith exchange. She founded “Namaste Global” to inspire the next generation towards character building and a sense of global responsibility, all while maintaining a connection to their cultural roots.

Natalie is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of HomeWorks Trenton, a free community-based after-school boarding program. Growing up in a numbers-driven public school system in Hong Kong, Natalie had an unhealthy relationship with learning. This relationship changed when she had the opportunity to attend a boarding school in New Jersey. More importantly, living with 40 girls at such a young age empowered her to become more empathetic and confident, and these women are still her support system today. While earning her teaching certificate as a sophomore at Princeton University, Natalie started HomeWorks with the idea of replicating this experience for girls in marginalized communities around the world. Since 2016, she has built a diverse team of 9 staff members and over 50 volunteers. Together, they have expanded from a summer pilot to a school-year program with 70 participants and raised over $4 million in cash and in-kind donations. Natalie and HomeWorks have been recognized by McKinsey & Company, Camelback Ventures, Barclays, Comcast, Hollister, TRESemmé, Vital Voices, Penn Graduate School of Education, Princeton University, The Rachael Ray Show, New Jersey State Legislature and more.

United Way

We connect people with resources propelling individuals and families to reach their fullest potential to create a thriving community. In order to achieve our mission, we invest in programs, community partnerships, and volunteer engagement in youth and family success, economic vitality and health and wellness.

Award Accepted by Sandra Toussaint