“When Covid shuttered the church where Boy Scout Troop #22 of Clifton, NJ met, FSR stepped in with an alternative. When FSR employee and Assistant Scout Master, John Macaluso Jr. asked FSR president Jan Sandri if the scouts could meet at FSR, Sandri not only agreed to provide a meeting room, she opened up a workshop in the factory where they could continue practicing their crafts.
Scouting is a long-term commitment for Macaluso, who believes it helps the kids become better citizens and more responsible adults. A scout since he was six years old, he’s seen the positive effect of good role models first-hand and is passionate about paying it forward. Troop #22 out of Clifton, NJ is comprised of 9 boys ranging in age from 11 – 16. The weekly meetings were often the only opportunity they had to fraternize with others similar in age during the pandemic. The scouts adhered to safety protocols and continued to meet at FSR for about a year, when it was safe to return to their original location. “Jan Sandri opened the doors and her heart to these kids. The Troop would have folded if it weren’t for her generosity,” added Macaluso.
FSR also supports the United Way of Passaic County’s “Backpacks 4 Kids” school program with an annual donation of much-needed school supplies as local children return to their classrooms. In addition, Sandri has organized relief efforts for local disasters, such as Super Storm Sandy, and is on the Board of Kindness Shared Happiness Squared, a Florida-based non-profit created to distribute happiness to kids and animals.
On the opposite side of the world, PPDS, the exclusive global provider of Philips professional displays, gave back through a life-changing partnership with Eye Care Foundation with the donation of two 4K UHD Philips professional displays used to help prevent avoidable blindness and other serious eye conditions in Vietnam. The donation forms part of PPDS’ focus on supporting charities that bring positive change globally as well as the recently announced launch of TPV Cares – a brand new foundation that harnesses the talents of PPDS, TP Vision, MMD Monitors and Displays, and AOC teams and technologies to help and support to people and communities in more than 200 countries.
The Eye Care Foundation launched in Amsterdam and is active in countries in Asia and Africa. Training those who are on the ground in each country is a fundamental requirement for the charity. In Vietnam, community health workers are being trained to increase access to eye care services, contributing to the reduction of avoidable blindness in Vinh Long province. Professional displays facilitate this training, enabling the teams to show affected eyes and how they may be treated – super-sized and in high resolution. Two Philips professional displays – a 65” and a 43” Q-Line – were installed in the Vinh Long Eye Hospital in Vietnam, one for use in the treatment rooms for training and for reviewing images with patients, and another for use in the bustling reception area. Both displays allow the Vinh Long team to educate and inform on the importance of early intervention in eye issues, using video, imagery and static content.”
