By Charles W. Kim, Managing Editor
The township’s food pantry is running critically low on items even as it sees the largest demand in 20 years, according to officials.
Social Services Director LouAnne Wolf said Wednesday that the pantry is out of several staples and very low on others.
”We have many empty shelves,” Ms. Wolf said.
The pantry, which normally serves around 50 families a month, saw a 45 percent increase in clients in July, bringing the total number of families served last month to 72.
Ms. Wolf said the pantry served 10 new families last month and seven new families so far this month with 19 families being served in the last week alone.
”That is a big jump,” Ms. Wolf, who has held the post for 20 years, said. “(July) was the largest I’ve ever seen.”
Ms. Wolf said the increase seems to be coming from people who are either unemployed or underemployed and need the help to just get by.
”For whatever reason, they are not making ends meet,” Ms. Wolf said.
Ms. Wolf said that even the Middlesex County Department of Social Services is behind processing food stamp applications by about a month due to an increase in demand.
The new demand is compounded by the regular users of the pantry, according to Ms. Wolf.
”We are seeing more and more (users) each month,” Ms. Wolf said.
Ms. Wolf said that summer is usually a low point in the year for donations because school is not in session and students are not holding the food drives they do during the academic year.
While some donations are coming in, including a $1,500 cash donation, it is simply not keeping up with the record level of demand the agency is facing.
”It is not at the level we need,” Ms. Wolf said.
Currently, the pantry is out of snacks and jelly and is very low on peanut butter, among other items.
Ms. Wolf said the most urgent items needed include; snack foods, canned coffee, canned fruit, green vegetables, mixed vegetables, canned corn, canned beans, canned soups, jelly, peanut butter, rice, boxed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, oatmeal, canned meats such as chicken, tuna, beef stew and chili and toothpaste.
Donations of items can be made from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday-Thursday at the Social Services Office in the municipal building on Route 522. There are also three blue bins outside the office for donations at other times the building is open, Ms. Wolf said.
Monetary donations can be made by check, made out to the South Brunswick Human Intervention Trust Fund. Checks should be mailed to; P.O. Box 190, Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, 08852.

