When it comes to helping the community, focusing on children in need can be a rewarding experience for everyone involved. For Christian Tranger and his team at Beaver Dam Hardware, an Ace store in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, supporting the Panthers Let's Eat program was a way to help community children, both at mealtime and at Christmas.

Christian's Dad Dave Tranger started Beaver Dam Hardware back in 1974. Christian took over the business 40 years later in 2014. Today, Christian makes giving back to the local community a major focus for his business.

Christian and his Ace team are involved with the Panthers Let's Eat program. The organization is focused on providing meals that help feed hundreds of deserving children every day. When schools are closed, Panthers Let's Eat is there to make sure kids get the nutrition they need. Delivery bags include pasta, granola bars, cereal, and other kid-friendly foods.

Whether it's planning a Charity Golf Outing to Benefit Panthers Lets Eat or collecting round-up donations from customers at his Ace store, Christian is always looking for new ways to help the community. While Panthers Let's Eat mainly focuses on food, around the holidays the focus shifted to a toy drive.

"We realized that many of the kids in our program were not going to get much for Christmas," said Kate Roach, Director of Panthers Let's Eat. "If they don't have money for food, there's not going to be a lot of money for Christmas."

The first toy drive event was in 2020. In 2023, they were able to give blankets to all the participants in the program.

"I always do a big order from Bever Dam Hardware as a donation. This year it was 650 individual items donated, but we also have different collection spots around town that the community can drop off presents," said Christian. "We even include wrapping paper in the bags so the parents can wrap presents for their children."

For Christian and his family, helping those in need around the holidays is a way to give back to the community that has helped their Ace business.

"I have 4 young children, it's good to show them that this community has given us so much," said Christian. "We need to give back to the community as best we can, where we can. What better way to give back to the community than children."