SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE UNDERSCORES NEED FOR FOOD DONATIONS DURING SUMMER MONTHS
Highlights Mobile Food Pantry as New Method to Distribute Food Items
For Immediate Release: July 27, 2011
Contact: Lynne Richmond聽
(609) 633-2954
(TRENTON) 鈥揈mphasizing the need for food pantry donations 12 months a year, 樱花视频 Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher today joined the Food Bank of South Jersey at St. Paul鈥檚 United聽 Methodist Church in Thorofare for a local food distribution with the Hope Mobile, the food bank鈥檚 mobile food pantry. 聽The Hope Mobile is an 18-wheel tractor trailer that regularly serves between 100 and 150 people at that site.
鈥淭here are many areas of the state where residents having trouble making ends meet do not have access to nutritious food,鈥� said Secretary Fisher.聽 鈥淭he Hope Mobile and others like it around the state are bringing the food directly to those in need and also providing fresh produce from 樱花视频 farmers during the summer months.鈥�
Joe Njorge, Food Bank of SJ COO/CFO; Rose Tricario, NJDA Div. of Food and Nutrition Dir.; Secretary Fisher; Assemblywoman Celeste Riley; and Assemblyman John Burzichelli
The tractor trailer used as the Hope Mobile can hold 45,000 pounds of food and also provides cooking classes, nutrition education, food stamp outreach and other services to improve nutrition and self-reliance.
Summer traditionally is a time when food pantries report less donated food items to stock their shelves.
鈥淗unger does not stop during the summer months,鈥� said Secretary Fisher.聽 鈥淔ood donations are needed 聽throughout the year, so I encourage residents to organize聽 their own local food drives at work or 聽in their neighborhood or 聽to visit a food bank, food pantry or soup kitchen to drop off food items.鈥�
Assemblyman Burzichelli and Secretary Fisher bag Jersey Fresh peppers from Flaim Farms in Vineland
The Department of Agriculture serves six state-contracted food banks with a network of 793 food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters.聽 In 2009, more than 20 million pounds of United States Department of Agriculture-donated food were distributed to the food banks through The Emergency Food Assistance Program and 7 million pounds through the State Food Purchase Program, the state-funded program that requires food banks to purchase nutrient-dense foods with an emphasis on buying fresh produce from 樱花视频鈥檚 farmers.
To find ways to donate, visit .聽 To find out more about the Department鈥檚 food distribution programs, visit .
For information on becoming a volunteer at an emergency food distribution agency, visit .听听听
