Date: December 21, 2022

Each year at this time, we like to take a moment to thank our members and show our appreciation for them trusting us and choosing to be an important and integral part of the Affinity family. Our Affinity community is great because of our members!

This year, we received a record-number of nominations for our Members of the Year program. Members of the Year are Affinity members who give back to their communities, have a firm commitment to making a difference, and are dedicated to improving their financial wellbeing.

Meet our 3 winners:

Hector Delgado takes part in various volunteer efforts across his community. Recently, he’s participated in the Norwalk police department backpack drive, which collects and donates bags and school supplies to school-age children in the Norwalk, CT area before the start of the school year. Hector also volunteers his time in a community effort called “Stuff A Cruiser” where he works to distribute toys to local children during the holiday season.

Daisy Taylor is a gleaner for LocalShare, a nonprofit organization serving Warren, Sussex, Union, Somerset and Morris counties. Daisy takes part in organizing gleaning events at local farms to distribute farm fresh produce to local food pantries. She also works to set up pop-up markets, which allow patrons to personally shop and pick produce that they may not be able to afford otherwise.

Laura Uhlig Smith works Member Relations for Edison Community Garden Initiative. The community garden provides fresh vegetables for the food pantry across the street. Each month, they conduct educational classes for novice gardeners, and/or activities for children to participate in. Daisy and her team also engage in regular clean-ups around the township which involves picking up garbage, planting native plant species, as well as removing invasive species.  

We would like to thank our 2022 Members of the Year for their continued efforts in serving our communities.