About GTO
Our Mission
Embracing our youth by promoting the economic and educational well-being of underserved students.
GTO History
Our Beginnings
Our history began in 1983 as the Grove Street Senior Citizen Housing Corporation Inc (a 501c3), providing affordable housing for senior citizens in East Orange, NJ, a first of its kind initiated by ordinary citizens. Our focus for over 25 years was senior housing. By 2011 our focus evolved to adult education, offering programs in career development, computer skills, business entrepreneurship, public speaking, and English as a second language. Our purpose was to give people the necessary tools to make a difference in their lives, benefiting their families and the community.
Our Focus Today
In 2021 we became Greater Than Ourselves, and though our focus has changed, we remain committed to helping people in our community. We understand the long-term impact hunger can have on young people working hard to better themselves through education. Hunger can impact a student’s ability to excel. It creates stress and an inability to focus, often affecting their performance and grades, which can ultimately impact their long-term career success. It is our goal to break this cycle. We are determined that no college student in New Jersey should face hunger while seeking an education.
How We Work With Schools
Greater Than Ourselves works with NJ colleges and universities, and vocational and technical schools to address food insecurity. GTO raises funds that it donates to schools. The schools, in turn, set up accounts for the affected students at campus food services and provide nutritious food through school food pantries.
We currently support students at Bloomfield College (since 2021) and Passaic County Community College [PCCC] (since 2023). We look forward to working with schools across New Jersey.
