By Ginny Ritchie, published in the Fall 2010 edition of The Caring Times.

John Reisner has been a volunteer with Interfaith Caregivers since its inception in 1990. Responding to an invitation from Bill Reynolds, then President of the Haddonfield Foundation and Dr. Joan Gault, founder of Interfaith Caregivers to help with the start up, he offered his legal expertise. At that time he filed the necessary paperwork for its incorporation and drew up its first set of By-laws. He followed up with filing the forms necessary for listing Interfaith Caregivers as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

John continues to respond to requests for advice on other important issues relating to personnel policies, services to clients, and permission forms for using photographs and client publicity. He also has provided the office with the protocol to follow when Interfaith receives a bequest from an estate.

When asked why he volunteers his time and professional skills, John replied, "Service is the rent you pay for the space you occupy." Speak John's name to civic-minded townspeople and you will hear that he has been faithfully paying his rent. He has a long history of public service. For over twenty-five years he served on the Haddonfield Planning Board and was a Borough Commissioner from 2001-2005. He has served on many other boards and has also given a significant amount of his professional time and expertise to a number of the charitable organizations in town besides Interfaith Caregivers. Continuing to give of his skills to Interfaith is important, John says, "because it is an important ministry in our town."

Born and raised in Haddonfield, John was exposed to the importance of service to the community by his parents. His father, Dr. John Reisner, Jr., was for many years a member and also President of the Board of Education; his mother, Caroline, was a member and also President of the Library Board for more than twenty years. Other influences for service came from John's scouting experiences, attaining the rank of Eagle Scout; his college environment which promoted service, at Davidson College, where he earned his B.A. in Political Science; and his participation in service groups such as the Rotary Club.

In 1976 John earned his J.D. at Rutgers School of Law. Following time as an attorney in private practice in Haddonfield, John joined the law firm of EarpCohn P.C. In his work there he advises individuals with their estate planning and counsels executors and administrators regarding their obligations in managing estates. His practice also focuses on representing individuals in the buying and selling of real estate.

Non-profits, such as Interfaith Caregivers, need professional expertise and advice in order to successfully carry out their mission. Volunteers who will donate their time in this way are of great value to our organization. John Reisner is an excellent example of one who has willingly given of his time and legal talent as a volunteer for the benefit of Interfaith Caregivers. Thank you, John, for your twenty years of service.

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
-Maya Angelou

Please see John Reisner's attorney profile for more information.