FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – The Eisenhower Middle School, Burlington Road, will join the 2007 Schools Holiday Hunger Challenge being offered by the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.
According to a press release, the Food- Bank has challenged all elementary, intermediate and high schools – public and private – in Monmouth and Ocean counties to think of those less fortunate this holiday season by running a special food drive.
The 2007 Schools Holiday Hunger Challenge will be ongoing at each participating school from Oct. 15 through Nov. 12.
The goal of the Holiday Hunger Challenge is to provide complete family meals to those in need this holiday season. Each grade has been assigned a specific food item, which will be collected and delivered to the FoodBank where it will be logged in and weighed. Items range from canned fruits and vegetables to boxed instant mashed potatoes.
The 827 students at the Eisenhower Middle School will join more than 3,200 area students who have been challenged to collect specific-needed food items.
Cash prizes totaling $5,000 will be awarded to schools in each county that collect the most pounds of food per student. The 2007 Schools Holiday Hunger Challenge champion award trophy will be awarded to the one school district that collects the most pounds of food per student. Registration forms, labels and classroom motivational items can be found and downloaded at www.foodbankmoc.org.
According to the press release, statistics show 40 percent of those who suffer the effects of hunger in Monmouth and Ocean counties are children. The Food- Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties secures and distributes 3.4 million pounds of donated food to a network of more than 250 hunger relief agencies in Monmouth and Ocean counties. These organizations include emergency food pantries, soup kitchens, day care centers and shelters as well as other hunger relief agencies. The FoodBank is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is to provide food for as many needy people as possible.
For further information about how your school can participate, call Kate at (732) 918-2600.