Chatham School Launches Food Program For Struggling Families

CHATHAM, NJ — A new food distribution effort has been launched at Southern Boulevard School as part of the School District of the Chathams' new Cougars Care Cooler program.

Sharon Neuner, in collaboration with school district administrators, has spearheaded the Cougars Care Cooler initiative. The initiative aims to divert leftover school lunch waste from the trash can and into the mouths of those in need.

Southern Boulevard students were educated on the purpose of the Cougars Care Cooler last week during lunch by Principal Marco Freyre.

Following the presentation, the kids were given the opportunity to place any unopened packaged items in the cooler to be donated to the Chatham Food Community Distribution (CCFD) at the United Methodist Church on Wednesday.

"The students were extremely excited to contribute to this initiative. Once I told the students that they were going to help those in need, the buy-in was just tremendous. I'm so proud of this school community to help forge such a worthwhile project," Freyre said.

Chatham Food Community Distribution is a community cooperative that began in late April 2020. Every Wednesday, rain or shine, fresh produce, milk, eggs, butter, bread and personal care products are distributed.

Pastor Jeff Markay and the congregation of the United Methodist Church host, facilitate, and process donations.

Borough Council members Len Resto and Carolyn Dempsey volunteer on a weekly basis, consulting with Jeff as part of the CCFD leadership and providing updates to the Borough Council, officials said.

Since its inception, the School District of the Chathams has conducted numerous food collections at both the classroom and building levels to assist the CCFD.

The district has a long history of implementing waste-free lunch days to educate students about reducing food waste and packaging. This program goes a step beyond simply keeping food waste out of the trash can by giving students the opportunity to use their food for good.

"This is such a win-win for all. Perfectly good food keeps from getting trashed and it ends up in the hands of those suffering food insecurity. It unites the student population with those less fortunate in more ways than one," Resto said.

The Cougars Care Cooler program will continue each week through the end of the year, district officials said.

"We are thrilled Sharon approached the CCFD with her idea of partnering with the School District of the Chathams to reduce food waste in our schools and getting that food to neighbors who need it. We hope this pilot program can be expanded to include more of our schools in the fall," Dempsey said.