First Aid Squad Collecting Food In Ocean County For Military Families

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ — The Ocean Gate First Aid Squad is collecting food donations throughout Ocean County to support active duty service people and their families on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst during the holiday season.

The military base’s food bank has been low on supplies, according to first aid squad volunteer Julie Trovato.

American Legion Post 129 feeds as many as 150 active duty families each week and the first aid squad's food drive is aiming to provide much needed support, Trovato said.

“If everyone in Ocean County gave just one thing, that bank would be filled,” Trovato said. “I feel it’s our responsibility as Americans to make sure our soldiers and their families have food.”

Non-perishable food and items like these are needed:

• Ground coffee or K-cups
• Individual creamer cups
• Sports drinks
• Energy drink
• Granola bars, energy bars, protein bars
• Individually wrapped bags of chips
• Trail mix or individual nut packs
• Graham cracker treats
• Beef jerky
• PB snack dip cups
• Individual cookie packs
• Individual dried fruit bags
• Chocolate covered dried fruit
• Individual pretzel bags
• Travel size toiletries

People living anywhere in Ocean County can email julie.trovato@oceangateems.org or call the first aid squad at 732-575-1112 to have their donations picked up.

The first aid squad wants to continue collecting donations year-round and is looking for several businesses to serve as drop-off areas. Donations could be picked up daily or weekly. Contact julie.trovato@oceangateems.org for more information.

“Now is the giving time, but in January, February and March, everything comes to a halt usually with people giving and that’s why it feels very important for us to continue this,” Trovato said.

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