(January 25, 2021) It was Hellen Keller who famously said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” Taking that to heart is Women in Flavor and Fragrance Commerce, Inc. (WFFC). After hearing about La Casa through a mutual friend and longtime supporter, Annie Basile, in 2015, WFFC decided they wanted to get involved with our Giving Tuesday Food Drive campaign.
Now a half decade later, we caught up with Erica Lermond, New Jersey WFFC board member and CEO of member company The Lermond Company. “WFFC is an organization founded and driven by volunteers and partnering with La Casa enables us to fulfill our desires to contribute to our NJ community.” Each year, Erica and WFFC set up donation boxes at their three corporate centers and coordinate with the WFFC network to collect non-perishable food and supermarket gift cards. While the COVID-19 pandemic prevented in-person collection events, Women in Flavor and Fragrance Commerce, Inc. collected several thousand pounds of canned good, approximately $2,300, which they used to purchase food staple items in bulk such as stuffing, potatoes, canned vegetables, corn, and cooking oil, and raised additional funds to allow La Casa to make a bulk purchase of 1,200 frozen chickens. They also donated 750 bottles of hand sanitizer, which La Casa distributed along with other PPE to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
When asked what their favorite aspect of Giving Tuesday is, Erica replied “Helping support the community makes it all worth it. The feeling we have after food distribution day leaves us with a sense of purpose and a full heart. That’s what keeps us coming back for more. It is an effort that our WFFC members can really get behind, and I think the relationship will continue to grow over the years.” The WFFC has plans to continue working with La Casa de Don Pedro, not just for Giving Tuesday, but in an all year round approach. With so many contacts in their flavor and fragrance industry that produce consumer products, the opportunities are endless..
It is La Casa’s volunteer and donor’s giving spirit that pushes the boundaries of what we’re able to accomplish at La Casa.
Erica Lermond would also like us to acknowledge the following individuals and organizations for their efforts: Al Bauer; Adriana Becker; Berje; Holly Bohlke; Marion Brooks; Capua 1880 USA Inc.; Richard Champon; Firmenich; Flavor and Fragrance Specialties ; Susan Lermond; Gabrielle Marks; Glenda Mensah; OQEMA; Penta International Corporation; Lisa Perry; Robertet USA; Terri Romeo; The Lermond Company; Trendincite, LLC; Ultra International; Women in Flavor and Fragrance Commerce, Inc.; Marie Wright, Lynn Zhang; and Odila Zocca.
