Long Branch Food Drive Collects Over 8,500 Items

Nancy Bale, Chairperson for the Long Branch Alternative Academy’s Project Eat, and five students from the Academy recently participated in their annual district wide food drive.

Each year from February through May, the Alternative Academy works together with other schools in the district to collect food items for three local food pantries. This year every effort was made to overcome the impact of a strained economy. It was essential that the pantries were filled for the summer months ahead when food donations are at their lowest.

According to Bale, “hard work, good communication, and perseverance” proved to be the keys to success for this year’s annual food drive.

Over 8,500 non-perishable food items were collected. Contributions this year were distributed to the pantries of The First Baptist Church on Bath Avenue, Saint Bridgid’s Pantry at Saint James Episcopal Church, and Christ the King Pantry at Holy Trinity Church.

The district offered special thanks to all the staff members who supervised Project Eat in their individual schools: West End School: Mark Steinbrick (2800 items), Long Branch High School: Meredith Miller (1200 items), Gregory School: Jeremy Martin (700 items), Middle School: Robin Reinhold (750 items), Amerigo A. Anastasia School: Markus Rodriquez (700 items), Morris Avenue School: Michael Sheckler (600 items), Joseph M. Ferraina Early Childhood Learning Center: Betsy Callaghan (400 items), Lenna Conrow School: Maria Villani (200 items), Audrey Clark School: Gustavo Barrientos (200 items), and the Alternative Academy: Nancy Bale (1575 items).

In addition, a the school gave a big thank you to the students who assisted Ms. Bale with the food delivery: Bryan Berry, Nate Dixon, Roberto Vasquez, Jamere Davis, King Montanez, and Ja’mier Bland.