Food Donations Drive Strong Week for Social Services

Just over 4,000 food items were donated to the South Brunswick Food Pantry last week as part of the ongoing Challenge to Fight Hunger. Food drives are ongoing in South Brunswick's schools, as Cambridge Elementary School did their part last week to help the township's less fortunate.

"Whenever we're talking about food drives we're talking about one of the attributes we want students to internalize, and that's caring and concern for others," said Superintendent Gary McCartney during Monday's Board of Education meeting. "Food drives are a natural outcome of creating caring students."

Each year, from March 1 through April 30, the Feinstein Foundation challenges anti-hunger agencies across the country to raise funds and collect as many food donations as possible.  Alan Shawn Feinstein, founder of The Feinstein Foundation, then divides his donation of $1 million proportionately among approximately 2,000 agencies participating in the challenge.  Each food item donated is valued at $1 per item.  

The more donations the pantry receives, the more money comes in from the Feinstein Foundation.  An estimated $230 million was raised by anti-hunger agencies across the country during last year's challenge.

19,703 food items and donated $46,126 in cash to the pantry during the Challenge to Fight Hunger. South Brunswick generated the 8th highest donations total in the state of New Jersey.

Social Services is currently seeing an average of about 12 to 16 families per week.

The South Brunswick Food Pantry's Feinstein Foundation Challenge to Fight Hunger Totals:

Challenge to Fight Hunger

Money Donated

Food Items Donated

Total Challenge Credit

Week 1

$2,534.44 

4,851

$7,385.44

Week 2

$10,799.26

1,479

$19,663.70

$5,605.00

$26,692.70

Check back with South Brunswick Patch each week for running donation totals for the Challenge to Fight Hunger.

Please send donations to LouAnne Wolf, Director of Social Services, South Brunswick Social Services, PO Box 190, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852. 

Please mark "Feinstein Foundation" in the memo on your check.  All donations should be made payable to the South Brunswick Human Intervention Trust Fund.

All checks should be dated later than March 1.  For more information call 732-329-4000 ext. 7674.  To learn more about the Feinstein Foundation click here.