True heroes, Teaching Us a Lesson About Human Resiliency

On June 7, Covenant House New Jersey held their annual A Night of Broadway Stars fundraising event at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ.  Tim Baxter, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics America, was honored this year for his continued support of Covenant House New Jersey.  The event celebrated the resiliency of the homeless youth the organization has helped and featured performances from Broadway theatre stars.

Covenant House youth present Tim Baxter with honoree award

Hosted by award-winning composer Neil Berg, the event featured performances by top Broadway stars, including Catherine Brunell (Something Rotten, Mary Poppins) and William Michals (Beauty and the Beast, Chicago.) Covenant House youths also showcased their singing talent to an audience of 800 guests.  Several Covenant House youths shared their personal stories on how the organization helped to transform their lives.

“If we have the opportunity to connect with one child in some small way that encourages them, that motivates them, that helps them keep fighting for their future, it is a gift beyond description”

– Tim Baxter, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics America

“One of the things that touches me most about Covenant House is that there are so many dedicated, generous and caring people, everywhere you look,” said Covenant House New Jersey Executive Director Jim White.  “More than anything else, I think that’s what makes it such a special place. One of those people to step up in a big way has been Tim Baxter. Tim is an amazing champion for our kids.  He has slept on the streets for our kids to raise money and awareness.  He takes the time to get to know and mentor our kids, inviting them to Samsung to learn about the working world.  He has rallied the employees at Samsung to be invaluable partners in our mission.  I can’t think of a more appropriate person for Covenant House New Jersey to honor than Tim Baxter.  We are so grateful he is such an important part of our Covenant House family.”

Covenant House’s Jim White and Janette Scrozzo with Samsung’s Tim Baxter

Covenant House provides food, clothing, medical attention, counseling and housing to homeless youth. Tim Baxter first became involved with Covenant House as part of Samsung’s bi-annual Day of Service, where the company shuts down all operations so that employees can give their time and efforts to support local charities. Since 2015, Tim has personally engaged in several fundraising efforts, including participating in a Covenant House Sleep Out, where executives slept on the streets of New York City to not only raise funds, but to show support to homeless youth.

“If we have the opportunity to connect with one child in some small way that encourages them, that motivates them, that helps them keep fighting for their future, it is a gift beyond description,” said Tim Baxter. “When I speak to Covenant House youths, what strikes me most is the look in their eyes as they share their passions and what they aspire to do. These young adults are striving to do better, and Covenant House is an invaluable resource in helping them achieve their goals. They are true heroes and can teach all of us a lesson about human resiliency.”

Tim was surrounded by friends, family, and colleagues as he accepted the award from Covenant House for his dedication and support of the organizations partnership with Samsung. To learn more about Covenant House or to donate, visit covenanthousenj.org.  For more information on Samsung’s corporate citizenship initiatives, visit news.samsung.com/us/category/corporate/social-responsibility.