Established in 1997 by the late Russell Berrie, and managed and hosted by Ramapo College of New Jersey, the Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award honors Garden State residents whose outstanding community service and heroic acts have made a substantial impact on the lives of others.
Since 1997, a total of 366 of New Jersey’s most dedicated citizens have been honored with this prestigious award. Honorees from each of New Jersey’s 21 counties have been recognized.
These Honorees have received more than $3.5 million in cash awards in recognition of the personal sacrifices and commitment they’ve made to serve others.
The Russ Berrie Making a Difference Award is a signature program of the Russell Berrie Foundation, which carries out the legacy of Russ Berrie by continuing to recognize New Jersey’s Unsung Heroes each year.
Links to Recent Making a Difference Honorees and Their Organizations
2019 Honorees
2018 Honorees
2017 Honorees
- Bonnie O’Brien, Transition Professionals, Hackensack
- Tricia & Kurt Baker, Attitudes in Reverse, Plainsboro
- Brenda Antinore, She Has a Name, Camden
- Lorna Henkel, First Friends of NJ & NY, Kearny
- Marlene Ceragno, Adult Care Brief Bank, Tenafly
- Danielle Gletow, One Simple Wish, Trenton
- Katelyn Darrow, Angels Community Outreach, Pitman
2016 Honorees
- Chief Vincent Mann, Turtle Clan, Ramapough Lenape Nation
- Julia Quinlan, Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, Newton
- Faye Zealand, AIDS Resource Foundation for Children, Newark
- Adam Lowy, Move for Hunger, Red Bank
- Betty Prezzy Bryant, Institute of Music for Children, Elizabeth
- Connie Mercer, HomeFront, Trenton
- Lisa Gladwell, NJ Recovery Advocates, River Edge
- Jane and Joseph Clementi, Tyler Clementi Foundation
- Seth Grumet, Stomp the Monster, Marlboro
2015 Honorees
- Dominique Lee, BRICK Education Network, Newark
- Linda Gillick, Ocean of Love, Toms River
- Paige Alenick, Donate a Toothbrush, Westwood
- Dora Arias, Curemonos, Summit
- Eileen Griffith, Community Hope, Parsippany
- Tom Cash, Student Partner Alliance, Newark
2014 Honorees
- Joyce Jenkins, Paul McGuire Family Health Center, Freehold
- Joseph Blythe, Meals with a Mission, Garfield
- Edith Coogan, Raphael’s Life House, Elizabeth
- Zamir Hassan, Muslims Against Hunger, Bedminster
- Keely Freeman, Sierra House, East Orange
- Lisa Goldman & Rita Yohalem, Opportunity Project, Millburn
- Tawanda Jones, Camden Sophisticated Sisters, Camden
- R. Brian Ullman, DDS, Eva’s Village, Paterson
2013 Honorees
- Robert Clark, Youth Build, Newark
- Jack Fanous, GI Go Fund, Newark
- Adele Katz, Sister to Sister, Montclair
- Jennifer Papa, City Green, Clifton
- Richard Pompelio, New Jersey Crime Victims Law Center, Newton
- Suzanne Stigers, Connect for Community, Sparta
- Ann Wagner, Oasis, Paterson
2012 Honorees
- Blanca Molina, Centro en Union para El Salvador (CEUS), Union City
- Zachary Certner, Special Needs Athletic Program, Morristown
- Janet Farrand, Foster and Adoptive Family Services, Princeton
- Eric Fuchs-Stengel, Mahwah Environmental Volunteers Organization (MEVO), Mahwah
- Barry Hackett, South Jersey Field of Dreams, Absecon
- JoAnn McCullough, IMANI, Montclair
- Clark and Jean Paradise, Your Grandmother’s Cupboard, Toms River
- Malcolm Sutherland-Foggio, Make Some Noise, Morristown
2011 Honorees
2010 Honorees
- Dr. Eugene Cheslock, Parker Family Health Center, Red Bank
- Chip Paillex, America’s Grow a Row, Pittstown
- Claire Insalata Poulos, Table to Table, Englewood
- Erica Rech & Michael Ruane, Breast Intentions, Middletown
- Faith Rice, NJ Center for Tourette Syndrome, Piscataway
- Natasha Rodgers, Simuel Whitfield Simmons Organization, Somerset
2009 Honorees
2008 Honorees
2007 Honorees
Follow us on: