ROBBINSVILLE — Mayor Dave Fried has launched a community food drive to assist the township’s neediest citizens.
”At the State of the Township Address last month I asked our citizens for help in keeping our food pantry stocked, and many of you responded,” Mayor Fried said in a press release. “Unfortunately, the need grew along with our supplies. Today, I am expanding our food pantry initiative to new collection sites, and with the help of our warehouse park, we will be able to sort food and supplies for families in need.”
Large food collection boxes are now located in four locations: The Robbinsville Senior Center and Food Pantry, the Robbinsville Police Station, the Robbinsville Firehouse, and Marrazzo’s Thriftway, located in the Foxmoor Shopping Center. Community members can purchase food and leave them at the donation sites, or they can purchase supermarket gift cards that can be dropped off or mailed to the Senior Center. Supermarket gift cards allow families to purchase perishable items or specialized items for a family member with allergies.
In addition, starting next week Grainger will provide space and boxes to assemble family-size food and supply packages to be delivered to individual households.
”Our biggest challenge in this project was the lack of space in township buildings. Where better to go for help than the warehouse park? I want to thank Grainger for working with us,” Mayor Fried said. “I also want to thank Marrazzo’s for agreeing to be a collection point, and to Bohren’s for once again responding to our community,”
Bohren’s, located in the Northeast Business Park, donated boxes for the collection sites.
In recent weeks, Robbinsville has had its first reports in many years of families displaced due to uninhabitable conditions, in part due to job losses.
”Almost every day we hear from residents who have lost a job or had their hours reduced,” Mayor Fried said. “We have to be the ones who extend a hand.”
Robbinsville resident Jodi Stephens, who is helping organize the collection drive, encouraged residents to “look for the bright red boxes,” that will be used for the effort.
”Canned tuna, peanut butter and jelly, rice, stuffing mix, bottled water, macaroni and cheese, oatmeal, cereal, pasta and sauce, soups, beans — we need it all!,”
Renee Burns, director of the Senior Center and Food Pantry, reminded residents that if they are not sure what to buy, supermarket gift cards are valuable to families who need perishable items, such as milk or eggs.
”They don’t take up space, and they never go bad,” she said.

