Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Kellie Dean, center, accepts donations from (left to right) Sea Isle Councilman Bill Kehner, Sen. Bob Andrzejczak, Sea Isle Mayor Leonard Desiderio, First Bank Board Member Dave Beyel, First Bank Vice-President Julie Miner, First Bank President/CEO Larry Schmidt and First Bank Board Member Joe Romano Jr.
Sea Isle City Mayor Leonard Desiderio and representatives of the First Bank of Sea Isle City donated thousands of dollars in gift cards Tuesday to U.S. Coast Guard personnel who were affected by the 35-day federal government shutdown, the longest in history.
Desiderio and other officials also delivered a variety of nonperishable food items during a stop at the Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May.
Overall, $5,000 in gift cards and several cases of food were donated by First Bank of Sea Isle City in conjunction with Mayor Desiderio’s Food Drive. The trip marked the second time in two weeks that the Food Drive had resulted in a delivery to the Coast Guard base.
Desiderio serves as vice president of the bank's board of directors. Accompanying the mayor at the Coast Guard base were other First Bank board members and bank executives.
Also on hand were Sea Isle Councilman Bill Kehner and state Sen. Bob Andrzejczak. Kehner brought a $1,000 check from the Cape May County League of Municipalities to help the Coast Guard personnel. Andrzejczak delivered nonperishable food items that were collected at his state offices.
“It really felt good to give back to the members of our local Coast Guard, who are always there, looking out for us and protecting us,” Desiderio said in a press release. “We need to continue to support and help these young men and women whenever possible.”
