Cares Spotlight: Janine Hee Memorial Foundation

EDA Cares was developed to help bring the EDA community together and support local individuals who need help. The Cares Committee consists of EDA staff members who volunteer their time with charities meaningful to them and seek support from their colleagues to give back. This structure empowers employees to support causes that are important to them and provides access to added resources that can help make a bigger impact.

This month, EDA is highlighting one of its charities of choice: the Janine Hee Memorial Foundation. EDA VP of Operations, Brian Hee founded the Janine Hee Memorial Foundation to honor the life and legacy of his late wife and keep her memory and spirit alive.

The Janine Hee Memorial Foundation’s goal is to help others be positive during tough times, just like Janine during her battle with colon cancer. The charity also aims to replicate the love and support that his family received during this time. “Janine embodies the EDA Way in everything she did, and this foundation will help us, not only keep her spirit with us moving forward, but also help others see the goodness in helping people in their time of need,” explains Hee. This charity completes numerous projects throughout the year that helps support individuals in the community who are dealing with challenging times and desperately need support.

“This charity is very near to my heart as it is in memory of my loving wife, Janine. When we first started this charity, it was a way for me to process the grief of losing her at such an early part of her life. As we continue to move forward, it has and will continue to allow us to keep her memory and spirit with us as we help others in the manner that she would have.”
Brian Hee | VP of Operations | EDA Contractors

Each year, the Janine Hee Memorial Foundation awards two $2,500 scholarships to eighth grade students committed to attending Paul VI High School in Haddon Township, NJ. To determine awardees for this scholarship, students complete an application that details their community involvement, letters of recommendation, transcripts, and a personal essay that shows how they embody Janine’s character traits. In addition to the scholarships, the foundation also works to provide assistance to families in need of support while going through cancer treatment. Some of the ways that the foundation has supported these communities includes, funding a new wardrobe for a mother that lost weight after major surgery, paying rent for a single mother battling terminal cancer, purchasing gift certificates for a family whose mother and father are dealing with serious illnesses, and numerous other contributions.

In addition to supporting its annual fundraising event, the 2022 EDA Cares Golf Outing raised $20,000 for the foundation. According to Hee, this support “has allowed us to continue our work assisting families get through some very difficult times.” Recent activities by the Janine Hee Memorial Foundation include, funding housing rental payments and utility bills for patients unable to work while undergoing cancer treatment, funding transportation to and from treatment facilities, and providing meal services to patients and families. Hee explains that “because of this support, we are able to continually spread our reach and make an impact on those that need it most.”

“As a member of the EDA Cares Committee, the Janine Hee Memorial Foundation would like to thank all of its vendors and friends for their generous support over the last year. The support from the EDA Contractors Golf Outing along with our annual fundraising event, has allowed us to continue our work assisting families get through some very difficult times.”
Brian Hee | VP of Operations | EDA Contractors

The resources that the Janine Hee Memorial Foundation has created helps provide valuable assistance for people who need help. One of the patients that received assistance wrote to the foundation about their gratitude saying, “thank you very much, it just put my mind at ease and now I can relax. I was so worried about being put out on the streets [and now] I have nothing to worry about.” These testimonials highlight the impact this foundation can bring and underscores the success of the foundation in keeping Janine’s memory and spirit alive.

To learn more about the Janine Hee Memorial Foundation, you can visit their website: https://janineheememorialfund.org/. You can also learn more about this charity as well as EDA’s other charitable work at culture.edacontractors.com.