by Sean Ruppert, Staff Writer
The South Brunswick Food Pantry is in need of a little more help this holiday season.
According to the township’s Social Services Director LouAnne Wolf, the charity is coming up short on items needed for the pantry’s holiday boxes, given to families during the Christmas season. The boxes feature various food items needed for a holiday meal, including a turkey.
Ms. Wolf says that she and the pantry’s volunteers discovered that they did not have enough food while packing the boxes on Monday.
”The food we had didn’t go nearly as far as we thought it would,” she said. “I am concerned. We hope we can get people to donate more items sooner rather then later.”
Ms. Wolf says the pantry is creating boxes for 172 families, 122 of which have children. She says that total is nearly identical to the amount of boxes created last year.
Ms. Wolf says the pantry has been able to complete some boxes this year, but still needs to make about 70 more. She estimates that the pantry currently has less then half the amount of supplies needed to create these boxes.
The pantry is looking for canned meats, Chef Boyardee products, juices, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, cereals, macaroni and cheese, canned tomatoes and corn, soups and all condiments.
The pantry is also accepting gift cards to local grocery stores, which will be used to buy turkeys for the boxes.
Ms. Wolf said that should the pantry receive a surplus of items, they will be used for its regular monthly food distribution.
Ms. Wolf says she is not sure why the pantry is facing this shortage.
”I certainly don’t want to put the blame on anyone,” she said.
Those who would like to donate to the food pantry can bring items directly to the pantry, in the lower level of the municipal building at 540 Ridge Road in Monmouth Junction.

