By Maria Prato-Gaines, Staff Writer
Food pantries in the area have already given complete Thanksgiving dinners to needy families, and they say there’s more help to come.
Sixty families in the greater Cranbury area, who may have otherwise gone without the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, received a food basket complete with trimmings, said Deanna Anderson, a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury’s Board of Deacons.
Church officials say the have plans to do the same in time for Christmas.
To get the pantry’s help, families either contacted the church requesting the service or local schools and neighbor churches identified those in need, she said.
Ms. Anderson said community help in collecting and packing baskets came from groups such as the church’s youth group, the local Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America, the Cub Scouts, the Cranbury School Student Council and the Four Seasons senior community.
Baskets contained groceries such as cranberry sauce and stuffing, as well as fresh produce like potatoes and onions.
”Every family gets a turkey and all of the makings for a Thanksgiving dinner,” she said.
But the church was looking past the leftovers and wanted to make sure these needy families had more than one day to be thankful for a well-balanced meal.
”Depending on the size of the family, we also dropped off one or two boxes of just food,” Ms. Anderson said.
Now that Thanksgiving is over, the church’s food pantry, Skeet’s Pantry, is gearing up for the next holiday, Ms. Anderson said, and the pantry is again depending on the community to help.
Ms. Anderson said the church is again looking for non-perishables, canned goods, frozen turkeys, as well as a number of Christmas hams.
”If they are going to donate a turkey or ham they have to contact the church office so someone can put them in a freezer,” she said.
Although the pantry’s priority is food collections, Ms. Anderson said the church is also seeking baby items such as blankets, wipes, powder, diaper and formula.
”We’ll get them out the week before Christmas, but we accept donations all year round,” she said.
The Deacon’s Cupboard run by the Jamesburg Presbyterian Church also had a successful Thanksgiving.
The pantry provided 76 Thanksgiving baskets to families in need in Jamesburg, Helmetta and Spotswood, said Bea Davison, moderator for the Board of Deacons.
Along with the basket, the cupboard also provided sweatshirts to each family member and included the families’ monthly food distribution from the church, Ms. Davison said.
The sweatshirts were given to the cupboard by an anonymous donor and were put to good use as they were distributed not only to the needy families, but to area veterans and to local schools.
”I don’t want them sold or sitting in a closet unused,” Ms. Davison said.
Families who are eligible for the cupboard’s program picked up their monthly food distribution along with the baskets, with the final one trickling out on Wednesday, she said.
The baskets consisted of stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie mix, cranberry sauce, green beans, corn, bread and, of course, a turkey, Ms. Davison said.
A number of local civic associations collected the items, she said, including the local Boy Scouts of America, Cub Scouts, Elks Lodge and Levinson Associates Realtors, she said.
The cupboard usually serves around 125 families each month, Ms. Davison said.
”Every Thanksgiving we have people that are eligible, but we don’t serve 100 percent,” she said. “The families determine that.”
The cupboard expects to put together about 100 baskets for the upcoming December holidays, she said.
Ms. Davison said even though Christmas only lasts for a day, they prep for the holiday all year long.
Along with a food basket, the church plans to donate a jacket paired with sweaters, gloves or a hat and one toy to each child from their list of needy families.
The church is hoping the public will donate hams, potatoes, applesauce, cake mix, icing, pineapple and bread for the baskets.
”Any of those donations would be appreciated, but particularly the hams,” Ms. Davison said.
For more information on becoming a basket recipient or making donations, contact the Jamesburg Presbyterian Church at 732-521-1711.
In Cranbury, the First Presbyterian Church of Cranbury can be reached at 609-395-0897.

