POCKETS OF NEED: Brothers team up to get food to the needy

Two brothers organize food drive to help out the Deacons Food Pantry.

By: Melissa Hayes
   Editor’s note: Part of an occasional series focusing on issues of hunger and financial need in the Jamesburg, Monroe area.
   When Nikko DeLiberto heard that the Deacons Food Pantry at the Presbyterian Church of Jamesburg was in need of supplies, he decided that he wanted to help.
   "I just wanted to run a local fund-raiser that would help out the community and stuff, and my brother wanted to help," he said.
   So Nikko, 16, and his brother, Mickey, 12, organized a food drive within their development, Heritage Chase in Monroe. They successfully collected food in September and held another food drive in October, but were discouraged when they didn’t collect as much as they had hoped.
   Jo DeLiberto, the boys’ mother, said she suggested having her company sponsor the next food drive and American Re-Insurance of Princeton was happy to support the boys in their effort to restock the pantry for December.
   The company-sponsored food drive was successful and the boys are now planning to run another collection drive in their community next month.
   "We set up boxes in the business and people that want to participate can drop food off," Nikko said. "When we do it in the development we put up fliers."
   The boys’ mother helped them with the collection process.
   "We ask them to put it by their mailbox and we drive around in the truck and pick it up then take it right over," Ms. DeLiberto said.
   Susan Schneider-Baker, director of the food pantry, said she was impressed by the DeLibertos.
   "I was very impressed with him that he would do this on his own without any sort of stimulus from school or a group," she said of Nikko. "He’s just doing it from his heart; he’s totally impressed me. I think he’s unbelievable."
   Nikko said he and his brother wanted to do something outside of the school system because the schools are constantly having food drives. He said that having a community food drive also involves people who might not have children.
   "We’re going to try to do it every month," Nikko said. "Some months the Boy Scouts donate so they don’t need it those months, but when they need it we’re going to try and help."
   Ms. DeLiberto said the boys are always talking about doing projects together.
   ‘They’ve talked about it in the future when they do grow up to be young men to open up a business," she said. "It’s kind of funny to see them working together on this project."
   Ms. DeLiberto said she felt the message the boys were sending was important.
   "This is something anyone can do," she said.