By Mary Brienza, Staff Writer
The township has raised a grand total of $55,129.44 so far as part of the Feinstein Foundation Challenge, beating last year’s total of about $47,000, Director of Social Services LouAnne Wolf said Monday.
The challenge to raise money and food donations for the food pantry started March 1, and has had an immediate impact on township residents in the last seven weeks, Ms. Wolf said.
”This is very much needed,” Ms. Wolf said. “(The donations of) food absolutely has an impact.”
Ms. Wolf said she would like to raise $11,856.56 more in cash donations during the last two weeks of the drive for a total of $50,000 when the drive ends April 30.
The nationally known philanthropist and humanitarian Alan Shawn Feinstein founded the Feinstein Foundation in 1991, according to the organization’s website.
The goals of the Foundation are to fight hunger and encourage children to help others who need it, Mr. Feinstein said earlier.
He said that the foundation will divide $1 million that proportionately divided among more than 1750 agencies from all 50 states that are participating in the challenge, and each organization will receive a minimum of $250 and a maximum of $35,000.
This food drive has been called the most successful ongoing effort to fight hunger, and that during the previous 13 years, this drive has raised about $1.2 billion, Mr. Feinstein said.
Despite the South Brunswick Athletic Association’s major fundraiser being rained out twice, the township still raised $3,115 in monetary donations and 544 food items this week, she said.
Social services can continue to help people throughout the year as a result of this drive, Ms. Wolf said.
There have been more monetary donations through the Feinstein challenge than from September to December, but during the same period, more food is donated than during the Feinstein challenge, Ms. Wolf said.
The monetary donations help social services provide money for rent and utilities to residents that meet certain criteria, Ms. Wolf said.
Ms. Wolf also said the township social services never turn away people who need food.
”(We are) extremely happy with what we have done,” Ms. Wolf said.
Residents can donate as part of the challenge by donating food or money to the food pantry in the Municipal Building on Ridge Road, or by writing a check out to the Human Intervention Trust Fund and putting Feinstein Foundation on the memo line by April 30, Ms. Wolf said.
To find out more about the Feinstein Foundation Challenge, go to www.feinsteinfoundation.org.

