BRIELLE — Local Brielle organization Integrity Family Charity [IFC] United is celebrating their five year anniversary of community work and service this year throughout Brielle and Manasquan.
The organization began in 2018 with co-founders Eliot Arlo Colon and Andrew Chermark who were both involved in a number of local organizations and charities through community volunteer work. The two discussed the best way to coordinate and combine their connections into an “immediate response team” which focused less on one particular cause, need or group and instead more available to a number of different people with a number of different needs.
Mr. Colon and Mr. Chermark’s goal was to be a bit more broad on what they cover to allow for flexibility, adaptability and change at any time. They began by doing small helpful community tasks around Brielle and Manasquan, and before they knew it, the two were receiving phone calls from people wanting to become members. It continued to grow and grow, and at the moment the organization consists of 75 involved members.
“If another IFC popped up in a different area of New Jersey, I would be thrilled. I would love for every organization, every community, everywhere to have one,” said Mr. Colon. “This is not about trying to monopolize it, like this has to be ours and this has to be special and specific to our little community, but maybe this is just a way of life; something like doing these little behavior changes, it’ll change the paradigm as what it means to be a good neighbor.”
A majority of their funding comes from donations and volunteer time and effort from local community members. Though in the past, IFC United has received grants from Manasquan Bank and Provident Bank.
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