by Sean Ruppert, Staff Writer
Thanksgiving is time of reflection, togetherness and happiness for families all across South Brunswick.
For an increased number of township families this year though, it is also a time of need.
One woman who knows this all to well is a single mother of a special needs child who lives in town. The mother, who asked that her named not be used to protect her privacy, found herself asking for help from the township’s Social Services department this summer. She has needed assistance every other month since she first received it, and also received a Thanksgiving meal as part of Social Services’ holiday program. She said she has never needed help like this before.
”It is very stressful,” the mother said. “Every other month I have gotten some food from the bank, and I have received help with utility bills. It has taken some of the pressure off, but it is scary thinking that things could get worse.”
This mother is not the only one. In every month this year, the Social Services’ food pantry has seen a marked increase in usage, as compared to the same time period in 2007. The pantry saw 53 patrons in October, its highest one-month total ever. The pantry saw 32 users in October 2007. The pantry has averaged 40 patrons a month so far in 2008, compared to 25 per month in 2007.
Use of the Salvation Army and Human Intervention Trust funds has also increased this year, with both funds having been virtually exhausted before December.
The single mother who turned to Social Services for help this year said she works full time in a private school’s office, and used to be able to make ends meet for her and her daughter.
She said she needs to have a flexible work schedule though, because she often has to take her daughter to doctors’ appointments during the day. The job she holds allows her the freedom to arrange her schedule around her child’s needs, but does not provide health insurance. The state covers her daughter because of her condition, but she cannot afford it for herself.
Her daughter has been hospitalized several times in the past couple years; some of the stays were months long.
Despite all the difficulties, the mother and her daughter were doing OK on her wages and the state’s insurance a year ago, and she was even able to save up enough money for her daughter to go to a summer camp. In the last year, however, the rising cost of heating and cooling her home, food and gasoline have driven them to a point where she can no longer make some of her monthly utility payments.
”My electric and heating bills are very high, even though I am careful to keep everything low. I keep my thermostat at 68 degrees,” she said. “I have cut back on extra food, clothes for myself and cable. If I don’t need it, than I can’t get it.”
She said that her landlord first left her a note saying that she could get some help from the Social Services department. She said she was embarrassed at first, but took the aid because she thought it would help her get ahead.
Social Services assistant Jeanne Wert said that while need has been high, the community has responded well in the past few weeks.
”We’ve seen an increase in a population that normally wouldn’t come to us,” Ms. Wert said. “We have been overwhelmed with gratitude in the past few weeks to the South Brunswick community.”
Social Services Director LouAnne Wolf said the donations they received leading up the Thanksgiving were the most that she had ever seen in her time at the pantry.
”It is the greatest response I have seen in my 18 holiday seasons here,” Ms. Wolf said. “It was really unbelievable.”

