HK Community Fund Press Release

Maplewood, NJ (September 15, 2009) — HK Community Fund announced today the launch of its community-focused, 501(c)(3) charitable Fund to assist the communities of Maplewood and South Orange in meeting ongoing educational and cultural needs. The Fund will be led by a Board of Trustees, to help youth and adult members of the community meet fundraising, volunteerism and program-strengthening goals.

“When I grew up in New Jersey, communities were made up of neighborhoods that shared religious, ethnic and cultural backgrounds,” said HK Community Fund founder Thomas Kerns. “As we have moved into the 21st century our communities have grown more diverse, economically as well as culturally, and we have developed new roots. The HK Community Fund will work to enhance and promote a sense of belonging within the community by engaging its citizens in fundraising, volunteerism and other community oriented goals.” Mr. Kerns goes on to say, ”During these difficult economic times I believe this is an important time to focus on our communities.”

The Fund will focus on four priorities:

• Education — tutoring, scholarship and financial assistance for extracurricular activities
• Teenage Involvement — promoting and enabling activism and volunteerism
• Theater, Arts, and Cultural Events — strengthening community identity and unity by promotion of local arts and culture
• Community – developing emergency funds and resources to meet local needs

The Fund will be managed by a Board of Trustees, including:

• President/Board Member — Thomas E. Kerns, who has headed accounting and operations for a $20-plus billion investment management company, as well as product and business development for a major international bank. He co-developed the Maplewood/South Orange Girls softball program, after the previous program had suffered from neglect. The program has grown to over 20 teams with an enrollment of more than 300 school-aged players. In addition, Tom volunteers as a guest lecturer for Advance Placement: Economics course at a local high school.
• Vice President/Board Member — Jeanmarie Hargrave, whose Masters of Science degree from Columbia University’s School of Social Work has been used to serve mentally ill homeless women in New York City. She is a long-time volunteer at local schools and has also volunteered her services to benefit local community service based organizations.
Board Members
• Steven Tugentman, a senior vice president and deputy general counsel for a major telecommunications company. In this capacity he is responsible for issues related to marketing, branding, sponsorships, products and services, and business development. He is also a member of the National Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the non-profit Council of Better Business Bureaus.
• John Kuhn, a member of the US Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ (VA) Homeless Services management group. He is responsible for conducting the VA’s national assessment of homelessness and currently leads the VA’s efforts to develop prevention services for low-income veterans and their families. Mr. Kuhn has a BA in Psychology from Brown University, a Masters of Science degree from Columbia University’s School of Social Work and a Masters of Public Health from Rutgers University. Three times John has testified as an expert witness on homelessness before the US House of Representatives, Veterans Affairs Committee.
• Members of the community served by the Fund.