Township pantry needs donations

By Sean Ruppert, Staff Writer
   South Brunswick’s Boy Scouts will spread throughout the township this weekend to collect much-needed donations for the less fortunate as part of their annual Scouting for Food drive.
   Last weekend, members of Boy Scout Troops 10, 90 and 888, along with Cub Scouts Troops 98, 107 and 108, dropped off bags for residents to fill with Thanksgiving foods. They will return on Saturday to collect the bags with the donations inside. The food will be distributed to the needy by the township’s Department of Social Services.
   ”People should put out the food Saturday. If they did not receive a bag, they can put it out in a bag of their own,” Jeanne Wert, of Social Services, said. “We are desperately in need of Thanksgiving foods.”
   Typically the holidays are the busiest time of year for Social Services, however the department’s food pantry has seen a marked increase in use throughout the year as the tough economic conditions have begun to hit home.
   ”We used to have an average of about 25 families that would come in for food every month,” Ms. Wert said. “Last month we saw 40 families, and this month it should be about 44 families when it is over.”
   The increase has not been limited to the last few months. Usage of the pantry has been steadily higher in each month this year compared to the same time period in 2007. In the first nine months of 2008, the pantry served 302 families. It served 215 families during the same time period in 2007, an increase of about 40 percent.
   There were 40 families who sought help from the pantry in July and August, and 41 families who sought help in September. In 2007, there were 21 families who sought help in July, 33 in August and 25 in September.
   ”A lot of our clients are out of work,” Ms. Wert said. “It’s very hard to find a job right now, a lot of people are getting laid off.”
   The Human Intervention Trust Fund, which assists people with monthly expenses and necessary expenditures like rent and medical bills, has also seen an increase in need. Through the first nine months of 2008 the fund has paid out about $10,000 more in aid than it did during the same period in 2007. It has distributed $57,184 through the end of September 2008, compared to approximately $47,000 during the same period in 2007.
   The Salvation Army fund, which is used for the same kind of expenses as the Human Intervention fund, also is seeing increased use this year. Last year the department, which administers the fund in South Brunswick, used $9,200 in Salvation Army money for the entire year. This year it has spent $9,800 through the end of September, leaving about $200 in the account. Social Services only allows for maximum donations of $200 at a time, in accordance with Salvation Army rules.
   Ms. Wert said that Social Services has been receiving donations through food drives but is still encouraging individual donations of Thanksgiving food. She said they are looking for stuffing, boxed or canned potatoes, rice, yams, boxed bake goods, chicken broth, gravy and other related foods. She said they also are seeking donations of diapers and other personal care items. She said those that want to donate turkeys can bring frozen birds directly to the Municipal Building, or drop off gift cards for Stop & Shop or Shop Rite grocery stores.
   Those who are interested in donating food for the pantry or the holiday program can bring items to Social Services in the lower level of the Municipal Building on Ridge Road in Monmouth Junction. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Donations can be made at any time in a bin outside the department’s office.
   Those interested in donating to the Human Intervention Trust Fund can send checks to South Brunswick Township P.O. Box 190 Monmouth Junction, N.J. 08852, attention: Social Services.