A "sneakerhead" and entrepreneur has a passion for giving back to the Jersey City community
People are generous for many reasons. Suraj Kaufman, a board member at the Jersey City Medical Center Foundation, is very clear about what his reasons are. “I grew up in very humble surroundings, in the Marion section of Jersey City,” he says. “I’m a kid from the projects who made something of himself and never forgot where I came from.” Now a successful entrepreneur—he owns the Sneaker Room footwear and clothing store at 410 Central Ave. in Jersey City—Kaufman regularly gives to community members in need.
Many of his donations have benefited maternal care at Jersey City Medical Center (JCMC), including special infant warmers for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, baby gear for women affected by HIV in the Greenville area, and a renovated waiting area in the Cristie Kerr Women’s Health Center. “I love to work with Jersey City Medical Center because they want to be involved with what we do. It’s not just ‘write a check, cut a ribbon,’” Kaufman says. “If I say we’re hosting a block party, they say, ‘What do you need from us?’
“For one party, they sent nurses to hand out pamphlets and teach kids how to properly wash their hands. I learned something that day, too!” At that event, Kaufman met a JCMC Emergency Department nurse. That encounter ultimately led to a brainstorm about providing shoes for the homeless. Similarly, it was on a visit to Henry Snyder High School in the Greenville section of Jersey City that Kaufman hit upon a way to help vulnerable teens.
A cheerful change
The Tiger’s Den at Snyder High School provides free, confidential social services to students and their families in one of the most economically challenged areas of the city. Services include academic and vocational counseling, lunch and after school recreation and more. The program is provided through a partnership between JCMC, the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, and the Jersey City Board of Education.
Kaufman visited the Tiger’s Den with Katy Cruz, Corporate and Donor Events Manager for the JCMC Foundation. “She said, ‘Let me show you a program I think you’ll be interested in,’” Kaufman recalls. They went to the high school to see the Tiger’s Den, which has offices and a small room with computers, a TV and a table and chairs where students can go to have lunch. “I loved the program, but I didn’t like the looks of the space,” Kaufman recalls. “I thought, if they want to get kids to focus, and to show them there are people willing to help, this room is not doing it.”
After pondering the possibilities for funding a renovation, Kaufman hit on the idea of ArtMax, an art show featuring works inspired by the Nike Air Max shoe, which took place on March 23. “You could buy a piece of art if you wanted, but at a ticket price of $20, anyone in the community could come in to support the program,” Kaufman says. The event led to a $20,000 donation to renovate the Tiger’s Den space, including new flooring, new paint on the walls, new furniture and additional TVs and gaming systems. The work, a surprise for Tiger’s Den students, was completed over spring break, with a big reveal when students returned.
“Suraj wants to really touch people and be there for people,” Cruz says. “He’s not focusing on having a room or a building named after him. He looks for areas where he can have the biggest impact, and give back directly.”
“I always tell people I’m trying to change the world, one sole at a time, ” Kaufman says. “I want people to know that whether you have a million dollars to give, a hundred dollars or one dollar, everything helps.”
A mile in their shoes
A lot of people in Suraj Kaufman’s world are “sneakerheads,” meaning they have a lot of sneakers—more than they can ever wear. (Kaufman himself has more than 1,000 pairs.) The Emergency Department (ED) at Jersey City Medical Center, meanwhile, sees its fair share of patients who don’t have appropriate shoes, having lost them as a result of an accident, or due to homelessness, or for some other reason. Solution: the Sneaker Room Closet, a custom cabinet outside the ED.Kaufman will be donating gently used pairs of sneakers, and encouraging fellow sneakerheads to do the same by collecting the sneakers at his store and promoting the idea on social media. The sneakers will be distributed by ED nurses at their discretion.
“When you meet and talk to a homeless person, so often you realize their greatest need is for basics—socks, underwear, toothpaste and toothbrushes,” Kaufman says. “And very often, they need a pair of shoes that can protect their feet from dirt and infection. These lightly worn shoes can mean the world.”
To learn more about giving opportunities at Jersey City Medical Center.