CM: What are some programs at Fulfill that you are excited about or that you want others to know about?

KG: Our “Packed with Love” Backpack Program is amazing. All too many children go hungry over the weekend when there is no school breakfast or lunch. Fulfill’s “Packed with Love” Backpack Program fills that gap, providing kids with nutritious meals, drinks, and snacks so they don’t have to wait until Monday morning to satisfy their hunger. Fulfill has partnered with area schools to discreetly fill their backpacks with packages of food to take home with them to eat on Saturday and Sunday. Those children are identified by teachers, nurses, guidance counselors, and cafeteria workers in a variety of ways; some are thin, have cracked lips, race to get food on Monday morning, scoff their meals down, ask for seconds, hoard their food, show behavioral problems, have excessive absences, and have trouble concentrating. Right now, Fulfill has 30 participating schools which serve about 1000 children per week, but could add ten more schools tomorrow if there was more funding.

Even in college, kids are still hungry. We bring our mobile food pantry to local colleges, including Brookdale Community College. The pantry visits the campuses two times a month. The first time we arrived at one school, we served fresh fruit and vegetables to 100 kids in 40 minutes. It’s about going in and being a part of the community. Another great program is our Seafood Gleaning Program. We have partnered with local fishermen and vessels to reduce the waste of fresh fish that cannot be sold and give it to people who are food insecure through a process known as gleaning. In fact, it’s a “First in Nation” Volunteer Pilot Program bringing much needed protein to food bank recipients.

CM: What are some ways people can help or get involved?

KG: Everyone can help. Monetary donations are critical as we are 87% donor funded. Every dollar is worth three meals. To donate or volunteer, go to fulfillnj.org. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. We also ask the public to follow Fulfill on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram and share our posts to help raise awareness about hunger.

CM: Are there any upcoming events at Fulfill?

KG: This month we are beginning a campaign called Shine Light on Hunger. It sounds funny, but someone donated 52,000 of LED light bulbs. We will be distributing them to our neighbors. Think about it, $5.00 a box, two light bulbs. That’s five dollars that can be spent on another necessity. These little things make a big difference. We want to send the message that we do more than deliver food to pantries. We try to provide wrap-around services, so people get off the line.

CM: Of all the positions you have held throughout your career, which is your favorite?

KG: I’ve had a lot of cool jobs in my life. The Sheriff of Monmouth County; running a 650-person law enforcement agency, the jail, 911 communications, the officers who protect the judges and serve warrants. That was a pretty cool job, especially being the first woman doing it. I was the first Lt. Governor ever, man or woman; that was pretty cool, too. But Fulfill… this is completely satisfying. It’s been fabulous.

CM: Besides work, where else can you be found?

KG: I still have responsibilities and clients at Connell Foley. I can be found there and working with them, but mostly you can find me with my family, making up for lost time. When I was in office, my life was not my own. I was working seven days a week, eighteen-hour days. I didn’t realize I was gone until I came home. I was literally gone for a solid eight years. Life was not my own; it was a public fishbowl all the time. Now that we get to spend time together, I can really appreciate my family. Most nights you can find us sitting on the back porch.  We live right in Monmouth Beach, so we are on the water. We just sit together and enjoy the river, something I wasn’t able to do for ten years. We are making up for lost time.

CM: What made you decide to call Monmouth County your home?

KG: I met my husband Mike in Brooklyn, but he was Monmouth County born and raised. I was born in Iowa but moved around a lot as a child, so I didn’t get to grow up around a lot of family. When Mike and I decided to start our own family, we wanted to raise our children in his hometown of Monmouth Beach. I wanted my children to grow up in a place where everybody knew them, and they knew everybody. We found that here. I was married here, all three of my children were baptized here. They went to the schools here and now that the kids are out of the house, when they come home, they can just pick up where they left off with their friends. I love the people of Monmouth County. I have been in almost every municipality in the state and when I saw how good the people of Monmouth County are to each other, especially after Superstorm Sandy, I knew I would never leave.

CM: Tell me about your family. 

KG: My husband, Mike, was a judge of the NJ Superior Court, he and I married in 1991. Together, we have three sons, Kevin, Michael, and Anderson. Kevin is 25 and a Captain in the U.S. Air Force. He just finished a tour in South Korea and is now flying the F16 on his way to flying the F35 in Utah. Michael is a Dartmouth graduate where he was on the crew team and is now working in finance in NYC. Anderson is 19, a graduate of Shore Regional High School and currently at a tech school in Bloomfield.

CM: Who are the people you spend the most time with?

KG: Besides my family, I surround myself with strong women friends. As often as we can, we get together and walk the boards. We start in Asbury and walk as far as we can, turn around and come back. It’s about eight miles. We have been doing this for the past two years, and it’s one of my favorite things to do.

CM: You are seen as a woman who gets things done and makes things happen. How else would you like people to perceive you?

KG: Happy, cheerful, hopeful, and ready for a laugh…not always in that order and it doesn’t always work out that way. That’s a question I’ve never had someone ask me.

CM: Do you have any words of wisdom, something you would like to leave our readers with?

KG: Take risks and do what you love to do. I spent a life of taking risks and created a great life by doing so. I would ask myself before making a decision, ‘would I regret it if I didn’t do it?’ If the answer was yes, I did it. I’d also say, never write in pencil. I never would have thought or would have done all that I have done. If you had told me the path I would travel, I never would have believed you. I am grateful for those who took me along with them. To steal a line from Anna Quindlen “reach as you rise”. It was done for me, and I make it a point to do it for others. As I move forward, I take someone along with me.

CM: What is next for you?

KG: My husband and I plan on traveling and enjoying our home. I want to practice a little more law. Ultimately, I want to put myself out of business. I have an obligation to try and end hunger, by doing so I will be out of a job; that is my plan.

FEATURED PHOTO: Lisa Luckett

Lisa whispered the words, “Goodbye Teddy, I love you,” surrounded by her close friends as the buildings fell that morning. Her husband Teddy headed to his office at Cantor Fitzgerald earlier that day. As he left the house, the happily married couple said their morning goodbye, calling one another ‘soulmates’. Lisa watched him leave, not knowing this would be the last time she would see Teddy.

Though she could have easily fallen into despair, Lisa instead chose to pursue light and positivity in the face of tragedy. In her new book The Light in 9/11 – Shocked By Kindness, Healed By Love, she shares a deeply personal journey of preparation, friends, community, and taking the right steps toward recovery and beginning a new normal.

Lisa met Teddy in the 1980s; both building successful sales careers in New York City. They soon fell in love and began building a life together, which led to the Lucketts moving to New Jersey in 1997.

The couple chose to start a new life in Fair Haven. Lisa and Teddy soon made friends through local events and became actively involved in the community. Though Lisa grew up in Rumson, she admits that she was always attracted to the idea of living in Fair Haven. “Fair Haven is a very special, old-world community,” she said. “You have everything you need, and you only have to leave town to go to the (Rumson) pharmacy.”

After Teddy’s tragic passing, Lisa decided to find a way to find light in her life rather than sink into despair. She credits her friends, family, and the community in Fair Haven for sustaining her through this difficult time.

“It’s a tight-knit community,” Lisa shared. “The unbelievable love, energy, and support was bolstering to me. Fair Haven is a village, and it doesn’t let its people fall. This community saved me.”

Within minutes of the first plane striking, neighbors and friends quickly filled the Luckett home and stood by Lisa’s side. Through this experience, she decided to embrace life as a gift and to not allow Teddy or other 9/11 victims die in vain.

“The loving support that you get is the lifeline that keeps you from falling into the abyss of despair and hopelessness,” Lisa said. “We can’t be stuck there, this life is too great a gift.”

Seventeen years have passed, and she is ready to share her story, as well as her journey to recovery, with the world.

CM: Why write this book?

Lisa Luckett (LL): Two questions prompted me to write this book: First, why were we all so emotionally unprepared to handle 9/11? Second, where could we find wisdom to help us through our grief? Over the past 17 years, I immersed myself in learning what had happened. This book is my starting point to share with others what worked for me in my own grief and recovery.

CM: What inspired you to tell such a personal story?

LL: When you have a story you need to tell, you must tell it. Otherwise, it feels like carrying around something inside of you that should really be out in the world. I want people to know that good can still prevail despite trauma. It can change your perspective to view life as “Why is this happening for me?” instead of “to me.”

CM: What is the book about?

LL: It is not as much about 9/11 as it is about how 9/11 was the catalyst for me to experience remarkable personal growth. It is about finding the light in any trauma; not just 9/11. The tragedy happened 17 years ago– there is a whole new generation of kids that have been born since then. Though the physical, mental, and emotional wounds are still fresh for many, 2001 is very different than 2018. This book is about the healing power of kindness that I experienced in the wake of tragedy. I want to give that back and put it in action.

CM: What are some ways you put that kindness in action? Lisa points to a bowl of clay hearts, twisted together in various colors.

LL: Pocket hearts. I decided to make these hearts in memory of a gift given to me in the first few days after 9/11. That gift meant so much to me, because it’s a memory of Teddy’s lighthearted love. He was so playful. I’ve given out approximately 40,000 hearts to date – one at a time, hand-to-hand. When I hand them out, I say “they are a little magic, so don’t be surprised. They are going to bring you luck and love.” It’s such a joy to make them, give them, and see peoples’ reaction. Random acts of kindness can really make a difference.

CM: What was that gift that spurred the idea for the hearts?

LL: I really wanted to go to Ground Zero to find Teddy in the first days after 9/11. However, a house full of people and three children made that nearly impossible. A few days later a friend arrived in my kitchen and said, “Lisa, I was at Ground Zero yesterday searching for Teddy and I had this with me. I want you to have it.” He opened his hand and there was a little silver coin with an angel embossed on It. “It’s a pocket angel,” my friend said. I got full-body chills when I touched it and when I took it from his hand I immediately felt calm. It was like I had been there, it connected me, and I didn’t feel that same overwhelming urge to go to the towers anymore.

CM: How are you using your experiences to help others?

LL: I believe I am helping others by sharing truths I’ve learned and living the way that I wish everyone could live. I want to encourage others to love themselves and to set boundaries, so they are not submerged under all the relationships in their lives. I want to help people see the positive aspects of their lives that remain in the wake of myself in studying this tragedy. This book lets people into my experience. My home was a revolving door in the first months following September 11. Instead of shutting people out, I let them in and allowed myself to receive.  It allowed them to grieve with me by helping me. It also allowed us to begin to heal together.

CM: What are some mantras you have or sayings that kept you going?

LL: One of the mantras that I have is “choose courage.” Just ten seconds of courage can change anything. Lean into it, because your situation is never as bad as you think it is. There’s also this amazing thing that I call the “godness” – the goodness with one “O.” It is the best of the human spirit that shows up in times of tragedy. People show up. I believe in that as well.

CM: What are you passionate about?

LL: I’m passionate about doing my part to help make the world a better place, understanding the gift that is this life, and staying in balance and enjoying it. I also have a passion for helping other people do that too. I want to be current so that I can be the best parent that I can be. When they are seeking wise counsel, I want to be that for them. My kids are my people and the most important part of my life. My oldest, Jennifer, is 24 and lives in Boston. She’s doing great there, working through her 20s, and doing it perfectly. Billy is 21 and attending Ohio Wesleyan. Timmy is a junior in high school at Salisbury School in Connecticut. Though we’ve all wound up in different places, Fair Haven is still home, for sure. Together, we are still “Team Luckett.”

CM: What’s next for you?

LL: I am looking forward to building a speaking career and taking the show on the road. I want to share the experiences that inspired this book with as many people as I can. This is the first book of three to introduce themes and theories that can show us a beautiful future.

CM: Where can our readers find you?

LL: I’ll be at the Barnes and Noble at Monmouth Mall in Eatontown on September 20 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. doing a book reading and discussion. It will be a fun time, so I hope to see everyone there! My book is also available through Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and River Road Books. Visit my website here.

FEATURED PHOTO: Brian Kirk on location at Two River Theater | CREDIT: Melissa Amorelli Photography

The man is a Jersey Shore legend, although he very much disagrees, stating that title is reserved for the likes of Springsteen. As the band leader for Brian Kirk and the Jirks, he has a larger than life image, and is a celebrity within our Monmouth County community as well as the tristate area. He has been playing music for over 20 years, gracing the stages of some of the most famous Jersey Shore clubs and creating the soundtrack for weddings and corporate events throughout the country. A span of generations has rocked out to his music and there is no end in sight. I had a chance to sit down and find out a little about the man behind the music. “I’m not any different on stage. I’m just that same guy, maybe a little goofier because I’m playing music and stuff,” he answered when I asked him to describe himself. Music has always had a presence in Brian’s life. He remembers spending time in his parent’s living room playing Stevie Wonder and The Carpenters records, memorizing the lines. His dad was a drummer and would tap out the beat of a song on the dash of the car he drove. Brian would watch his older brother as he played music in his own band and Brian played music throughout high school. As far as a career, it never crossed his mind as an actual possibility. He thought his future would be in the Telecom business; he graduated from Rutgers and accepted a job selling phone lines while playing music on the side. He frequently played his guitar and sang songs at places like Donovan’s Reef in Sea Bright, and other popular venues throughout the early 90’s. He would bring in a handful of friends, but mostly the crowd was there to see the headlining band. He was there to keep the audience entertained so they wouldn’t leave while waiting for the main act to arrive. His gumption and grit got him where he is today. During that time, he would hear groans as he made his way to the stage. The reaction could have made him quit but instead, he decided to win the crowd over.

“Maybe I didn’t in that first show, but eventually I did at least win some of them over.”

Today, he always wins crowds over at every show. It was when he added a drummer and a bass player that his following started to grow and the attention of the crowd began to shift from the main stage to the three musicians playing songs hidden inside next to the grill at the former Donovan’s Reef. “It was one of those things that just worked,” Brian told me referring to the joining of the musicians. The groans were replaced with cheers and the most popular clubs on the Jersey Shore were calling, asking them to play. The dozen or so friends in the audience grew to thousands of fans and he began to sell out shows. His reputation opened doors to clubs, all the way to Hoboken and Montclair to name a few. Brian Kirk and the Jirks earned weekly gigs as the headliners at the hottest spots on the Jersey Shore. They became regulars at places like Jenkinson’s, the Norwood Inn, and Bar Anticipation for their famous “Tuesday Beat the Clock Nights”. Brian Kirk became a familiar name, and became part of Sea Bright’s familiar sights, with his name gracing the marquee at Donovan’s Reef every Sunday. Through the years it just kept growing, the gigs, the band, the recognition, the song list and genres the band covered. They have been flown across the country to open for the likes of Joan Jett, Tonic and Better than Ezra. They are one of the top wedding bands, being voted best live band for Jersey Weddings at Brides.com. Brian doesn’t remember a time that he didn’t work seven days a week, but finishes by saying, “How can I call it work? I get to play with fans and friends.” Through the years there have been many changes in band members. Brian’s focus is to always hire people better than he is. He knows he is a great entertainer, but he is in awe of the talent and capabilities of his band members. “No one comes to see me anymore,” he told me. “It’s all the band, they are so good at what they do.” He never set out to be the band leader -he actually never set out to even have a band. “I evolved as the guy the rest of the guys came up to and wondered where we were going, what should we do from here? And typically it just so happened that my opinion of where we should go happened to be right.” He continued, “The leadership of a band leader slowly evolves over time. I still believe I’m not exactly sure what I’m doing, but everyone else does, so when they give me that responsibility I have to make sure I come through for them. I think it through; what our next move is and where do we go and what do we play, and it has worked.” He filled with humility repeating, “It just worked and I’m blessed for that.” Offstage by day, Brian is a real estate guy. He buys foreclosed homes, fixes them up and rents them out or sells them. He explained it as “kind of like the flip and flop shows you see on TV, but much harder, it’s so un-rock and roll.” His real estate career was one of those “rare meetings” he said. A regular at his shows one day asked him what he was doing with his money. When Brian told him he didn’t have a plan, he suggested Brian invest in foreclosures, so he did. “When you look back at the ridiculousness of it, you meet a guy at a bar, you’re having a couple of beers with him and he asks me about real estate and it literally changed my life. Music has been incredible, but what he did for me will never be forgotten and every time I buy a house I text him and thank him.” Brian explained that he said yes to real estate heavily out of insecurity. “I was certain that music had to end. It was too much of a fairy tale that a guy picking up a guitar and singing into a microphone can raise a family on that kind of money and do well at it, and actually pay employees and band members and live only by the band, which still astounds me.” Behind it all, he is truly a family man. When he speaks about music and real estate you can feel his excitement, his passion – he is all smiles. As he told me about his family, it is then he began to choke up with love and pride. He has been married to Elizabeth for 12 years, describing her as “terrific” and telling me how proud he is of her for all of her accomplishments. He is the dad of two, a son Donovan and a daughter, Emerson. He told me the best thing he has done in about a year was take his daughter to the daddy/ daughter dance a few weeks ago. To watch her interact with her friends and to slow dance with her – “my heart just went.” Everything he needs is right here in New Jersey, on the shore with his fans, friends and family. He talked about how he never had the desire to tour the world with music, or leave home for very long. He was born and raised in Middletown and continues to live in Monmouth County with no plans to leave. “There’s an old expression that all that you want in life is just at your feet, you just have to pick it up.” When I asked about his plans for the future, he said with a smile, “Eventually it has to end, I just hope I know when it’s time to get off the stage.” He paraphrased a Frank Sinatra interview he read. When asked about retiring Frank said, “Every time I thought I was going to retire I just missed the sound of the audience.” Brian continued on, “And I get that, you know if your day isn’t going well, there isn’t anything quite like it when the night in music goes well and you go home saying – ‘wow, wasn’t that a great time we all had together!’ I know the audience went home happy and the band clicked and the music was right. And on the nights that doesn’t happen, I go home and try and be a little better next time.”

“We are trained to see the negative. Members of the page are encouraged to share kind gestures they have made themselves, kindness they were shown by another or any kindness they witnessed. The members lift each other up and share support. Its sole purpose is to ‘share kindness only, free of charge.”

The kindness can be as simple as giving an encouraging word or looking in on a neighbor. When it comes to sharing our own acts of kindness, we often keep them to ourselves, feeling as though sharing may be viewed as bragging. But Dennis encourages members to share. Sharing may spark an idea or create a call to action for another. Dennis recalled a quote, “People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.” Through the page, friendships have been made and people known for negativity have been redirected to a more positive use of their energy.

Encouragement is being shared and caring has risen. It is giving people a warm and welcoming place to go. “If it’s made a difference to one person, then the page has done its job,” said Dennis. The Kindness Challenge is Dylan’s energy continuing to touch lives. Dylan had a loving heart and a willingness to give where giving was needed. Dylan made a difference in his life and The Kindness Challenge is visible proof he is continuing to do so.