Food Bins Are Empty, Curbing Hunger Program Hoping to Help Those in Need

With the bins only half full and 25 percent more families looking for help, the county kicked off the annual Curbing Hunger program at the Food Bank Network of Somerset County in Bridgewater Tuesday, hoping to encourage residents to take part.

“There has been a tremendous increase in families in need this year, and people who were using us temporarily are now coming on a regular basis,” said Food Bank Network Executive Director Marie Scannell. “We are overwhelmed sometimes, but to have enough food is what we are committed to.”

The Curbing Hunger program began in 1995, and is held in June to bring in as much food as possible in the easiest way possible. County residents are given orange bags with their recycling bins, and twice a month, they are asked to fill the bags and leave them for collection with the recycling.

Workers with the county recycling will pick up the bags and bring the food to the Food Bank Network.

Each family in the county received two bags in May, and those who do not have a bag can simply put out a regular bag marked “Food” with their recyclables.

“The amount of food collected is less now, and there is a shortage in the summer,” said Somerset County Freeholder Director Robert Zaborowski. “The United States enjoys a high standards of living, but millions still don’t have enough to eat."

The food collected is distributed through the county network, as well as to local township food banks.

In 2010, Zaborowski said, the county collected 46,000 pounds of food through the Curbing Hunger program alone—this year, he hopes to collect 50,000 pounds.

But Scannell would rather not settle for that.

“The number 50,000 was your idea, but I would like to see more,” she said.

Rep. Leonard Lance, R-7, made an appearance at the conference, and presented the food bank with items that his office had collected as well.

“These collections will benefit numerous organizations that help people,” he said. “There has been an increase in clients served, and all of us at the federal, state, county and local levels are working to get unemployment rates decreased.”

Chuck Knill, president of the Curbing Hunger board, said it is important to get the word out about the program in any way possible, particularly through word of mouth and social media to remind residents to donate the food.

“If we can get half of the bags filled, we could have 100,000 pounds,” he said.

This collection will be especially important following a mail mix-up in May that resulted in a lower rate of participation in another drive where food is collected through the mail service.

According to Scannell, the county holds another program where residents are asked to put food items in a bag to be left for postal service workers to pick up. But this year, she said, there was a mix-up at the post office and most of the notices to remind residents about the program were not delivered.

“This year, three-quarters of the county didn’t get the information,” she said. “Usually we get 8,000 to 10,000 pounds of food. This year, we got 1,500 pounds.”

“Usually the bins are half full by now,” she added. “But they’re not."

This is why the program is especially important this year, Scannell said.

“We’re in a slump now,” she said. “We had 24 new families just this month.”

Assemblywoman Denise Coyle, R-16, expressed similar concerns at the conference about the lack of food collected so far.

“Because of the economic climate, we are seeing a 25 percent increase in demand,” she said. “This is the lowest I’ve ever seen these bins, and this drive could not come at a better time.”

Scannell said the food bank is collecting any kind of food, but the three most important items right now are canned meats, canned fruits and cereal.

But the bank will accept anything, and is continuing to work with the residents and local businesses, including , in Bridgewater, which has often partnered with the network.

“We have been members of the county for many years,” said Melissa Feltmann, director of New Jersey Partnerships & Alliances with Sanofi-Aventis. “We have always believed it is important to give back to the community where we live and belong. It is a chance for public and private to come together.”

Coyle said it is important to continue to provide a safety net for the county through the food bank by supporting it and donating when needed.

And with donations at a recent low, those at the conference said they are hoping the Curbing Hunger drive increases the donations.

“I find this very unique, and it is really the best of what the community can do together,” Knill said. “It is really a lot of people doing a little bit of work that has a huge impact on the community.”