Livingston Philanthropies Inc. (LPI) delivered 27,000 packages of breads, muffins and cakes to Newark families in need after a Livingston neighbor connected the nonprofit to Bimbo Bakeries USA.

Jeff Friedman, founder and CEO of LPI, described the partnership's origins in a piece he submitted to the West Essex Tribune, published Tuesday, Sept. 8. Jason Declet, a longtime Livingston resident and Bimbo Bakeries staffer, had been donating to LPI alongside his wife Liz for years before he brokered the corporate connection.

Around the start of the pandemic, Declet approached Friedman about the company's charitable giving programs. "Let me connect you with the right people," Declet told Friedman, according to Friedman's account.

That introduction became a supply line.

LPI partnered with a Bimbo Bakeries facility in Wayne to deliver the 27,000 name-brand packages to distribution partners in Newark, according to a My Paper Online profile of the nonprofit published during the pandemic. The goods went to residents facing job loss and chronic food insecurity through partners including Newark Emergency Services For Families and Temple Rock Community Church of Newark.

The partnership arrived during a broader pivot for LPI. The all-volunteer, tax-exempt nonprofit started roughly 15 years ago as a small coat drive. It expanded into bulk food purchasing and distribution when the pandemic hit, adding produce, baby formula, diapers and other essentials to its deliveries. Friedman, a retired television producer, has been recognized by the U.S. House of Representatives and the State of New Jersey for his work with the organization.

Bimbo Bakeries USA, a subsidiary of Mexico's Grupo Bimbo, states it donates more than 25 million pounds of food to food banks each year through a partnership with Feeding America. The company is headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvania, and operates 60 manufacturing locations across the country.

As of January 2024, LPI had launched a "Green Initiative" fundraising campaign with a goal of raising $50,000 for monthly fresh produce purchases. The nonprofit continues monthly distributions to its Newark partners.