Curbing Hunger Collects 12,000 Pounds of Food to Help ‘Kick Hunger to the Curb’

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SOMERVILLE, NJ – The Somerset County Recycling Division collected 12,000 pounds of food for Curbing Hunger, Inc., during “Curbing Hunger Month” in June. Residents donated canned goods with their recyclables to be collected at the curb by the recycling division and delivered to the Food Bank Network of Somerset County where donations were distributed to the food bank’s clients and local food pantries. Other donors purchased fresh produce through Curbing Hunger’s online portal to also be delivered to the food bank.

June was proclaimed Curbing Hunger Month by the Somerset County Board of Commissioners because food supplies are lowest during the summer months when families are on vacation and in-need children do not have access to school lunches.

“I’m proud of the county’s generous residents who continually give to our local hunger programs,” said Somerset County Commissioner Director Shanel Y. Robinson. “I’m also grateful to the recycling division and its employees who have gone above and beyond when performing the day-to-day tasks that help make these programs possible.”

“The partnership between the Food Bank Network of Somerset County, Curbing Hunger, Inc., and the Somerset County Recycling Division is a great example of how community organizations and the county have come together to fight against local food insecurity,” said Steve Katz Executive Director of the Food Bank Network of Somerset County. “Food insecurity is still here, and demand is higher than ever due to the current economic conditions. We could not continue to support Somerset County families in need without organizations like Curbing Hunger, and we deeply appreciate and embrace our relationship."

The Creation of Curbing Hunger, Inc.

On an ordinary day 28 years ago, a priest from a local parish began pondering the county’s food-insecurity problem. While sitting in his kitchen he glanced through his window and noticed a recycling truck collecting recyclables at the curb, which spurred the idea of “curbing hunger.” Shortly thereafter a pilot program was born, and it grew into a successful non-profit organization that has been helping feed thousands of families in need.

Donate All Year

Residents can donate to the Food Bank Network of Somerset County by placing non-perishable items in a plastic bag, writing “food” on the bag with a permanent marker and leaving the bag at the curb with their recyclables for collection on their scheduled pickup days. Donations are then delivered to the Food Bank Network of Somerset County.

Donate to BOBO (Buy One, Bring One) Food Drive, by leaving cans of food in the blue bins in the breezeway of the Somerset County Administration Building, located at 20 Grove St., Somerville. Residents can donate at other convenient locations throughout the county. To see a list of BOBO Food Drive drop-off sites, go to BOBO2022.

For more information about how to donate to the Food Bank Network of Somerset County, visit somersetfoodbank.org. To learn more about Curbing Hunger, Inc., go to www.CurbingHunger2022.org.

The Food Bank Network of Somerset County

The Food Bank Network is a non-profit organization that distributes food to local food banks in Somerville, Bound Brook, North Plainfield, and a warehouse in Bridgewater to help Somerset County’s food-insecure families.

Curbing Hunger, Inc.

Curbing Hunger, Inc. began as a pilot program in 1995 and has collected approximately 2.5 million pounds of food worth $4 million. Sponsors of the Curbing Hunger, Inc. food drive include the Food Bank Network of Somerset County, the Somerset County Board of County Commissioners and the County Public Works Department.

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