The company helps meet the needs of the communities it serves West Milford When Tim Deaver, TJ’s Pizzeria Café’s company manager, gets together with regional partner Steve Freaney, they are always cooking up more than pizza. They come up with innovative ways to help local non-profit organizations and create value for their customers in this tough economy. With five stores under their umbrella in West Milford, Sussex, Franklin, Oak Ridge and Sparta Deaver and Freaney have devised several new fundraisers. “We are on a campaign to become a community partner for all non-profit organizations in town,” Freaney said. TJ’s “Dough Raiser” is more than just a catchy name. Town organizations, such as Boy Scouts, fire companies, and schools can reap the benefits from this event. Participating customers enjoy across-the-board selections from the menu, and 20 percent of their bill is donated to the organization. Linda Hofmann worked with Deaver at TJ’s in Sussex when she arranged a “Dough Raiser” for a seriously ill woman in the community. The drive was put together in a week, and the results almost $1,000 raised were amazing. “He told me that he would work hard to make this successful, and he did. His willingness to help can leave you speechless,” Hoffman said. The “Pizza Fundraiser Card” is another one of TJ’s winning idea. In this campaign, pizza cards are issued to local non-profit organizations who sell them for $10 each. The card buyer then receives one free pizza for every topping pizza they purchase, netting them a savings up to almost $100 over 10 visits. Judy Holovach used the cards to raise money for a hockey team in Sparta and was thrilled with the results. “We stand to raise almost $2,000,” Holovach said, “TJ’s Pizza was the first in the area to try this, and it is a big success.” The owners of TJ’s are sensitive to the economic climate and are willing to fight back, even if they take some loss. Their Web site and menu are filled with money-saving family bundles, complete meal deals, and specials. “We are not ready to roll over and accept today’s economic factors,” said Deaver. “We look at this as a call to action, to push ourselves to do more for less. We are food makers, and if that means joining our neighbors and making more food for less profit and sharing the proceeds for good causes, that’s just what we’ll do.” For more information on TJ’s fundraisers, visit the Web site, www.tjsmenu.com, or call 845-313-5011.