Curbing Hunger Month Food Drive Exceeds 2015 Goal In Somerset County

By Somerset County

Organizations serving needy residents in Somerset County are thanking everyone who contributed to the 21st annual Curbing Hunger food drive.

Freeholder Deputy Director Patricia Walsh reported that curbside donations totaled 49,326 pounds this year; another 2,000 pounds came through online donations via AmpYourGood.com.

In addition, the Bound Brook schools held their first-ever districtwide Curbing Hunger Month drive and collected 3,020 pounds, while Weston School in Manville collected another 760. That brings the 2015 grand total to 55,106 pounds – 10 percent more than this year’s goal of 50,000.

“This outpouring of community support has been a tremendous asset to our local food banks,” said Freeholder Walsh. “As the Curbing Hunger Inc. slogan says, ‘hunger doesn’t take a vacation’ – these donations are more important than ever at this time of year.”

Food supplies are traditionally low during the summer months, when school lunch programs close and there are no holiday food drives. That’s why the Curbing Hunger food drive is held in June to help alleviate this annual shortage.

The Food Bank Network of Somerset County, the Franklin Township Food Bank and local food pantries have seen unprecedented increases in the number of people they are serving as a result of the economic crisis. The Food Bank Network serves about 1,350 families a month. Many people who were previously using the food bank only occasionally for emergencies now are regular visitors. Some who previously donated to the agency now are clients themselves.

The Curbing Hunger campaign is a joint effort of the Somerset County Board of Freeholders, the county Recycling Center, county and municipal public works departments, the Food Bank Network of Somerset County and Curbing Hunger Inc. Supporters of the program this year are the Courier News, MyCentralJersey.com, Ashland Inc., PeopleCare Center for Nonprofits Inc. and Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus, P.A. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church of Basking Ridge is a founding sponsor.

Curbing Hunger started as a pilot program in Somerset County in 1995 and was expanded to several other counties in New Jersey. Since then, more than 2.2 million pounds of food have been collected statewide, valued at over $3.5 million, including over half a million pounds collected in Somerset County alone.

Anyone wishing to make a monetary donation at any time during the year may send a check to Curbing Hunger Inc., P.O. Box 202, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920. For more information, call 908-344-5571.

Residents also can make regular donations of non-perishable food every month. Canned goods now are collected at the curb year-round on recycling days in each town; just put them in any plastic bag and mark it “Food.” As part of the “Buy One, Bring One” (BOBO) Fridays program, canned and boxed goods can be dropped off at the county administration building, at the county library and several of its branches, at various municipal buildings and several other public locations. Non-perishables also can be donated at any First Saturday of the Month recycling drop-off at the county recycling center.

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