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WEST WINDSOR: Group helps region’s homeless students eat

By Nicole M. Wells, Special Writer
   WEST WINDSOR — As ominous dark clouds lumbered across the sky and gusty winds began to buffet New Jersey ahead of Hurricane Sandy on Oct. 28, shoppers at the McCaffrey’s supermarket in West Windsor showed their generosity even as they raced to prepare for the storm.
   In the midst of their scrambled preparations, many paused to consider the plight of homeless and at-risk children thanks to a group of young girls from the region.
   The Breakfast Brigade, a group of six local school-age girls, competed with the “superstorm” for shoppers’ attention, as members collected healthy breakfast food items from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to donate to The Cherry Tree Club.
   Located in Princeton Junction, The Cherry Tree Club is a preschool that serves homeless and at-risk children in the Mercer County area, according to the organization.
   Each weekday, it transports these children from shelters, temporary housing and motels to the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, where the school is based.
   The program provides breakfast, a hot lunch and an afternoon snack and is run in partnership with HomeFront and Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, according to the organization.
   ”I thought it was a huge success,” said Breakfast Brigade member Theza Friedman, 10, of West Windsor. “It feels really nice helping out in my community.”
   In the span of five hours, McCaffrey’s shoppers donated 280 breakfast food items to the preschool, with breakfast cereals being the most popular.
   Pancake mix, breakfast bars, oatmeal and syrup were among the other popular donations.
   ”It was nice to see how generous people were, especially while rushing to get items before the storm,” Elaina Englezos, 11, of Plainsboro, said.
   ”I felt really helpful,” said younger sister Sophie Englezos, 9. “It was fun talking to all of the kind people who stopped by to donate food.”
   In addition to breakfast food items, McCaffrey’s shoppers donated $277.41 in cash to the preschool, which The Breakfast Brigade will be donating in the form of a McCaffrey’s gift card.
   ”We wanted to show McCaffrey’s how much we appreciated them lending their facility to us,” Mom Sasha Weinstein, of Cranbury, said.
   Ms. Weinstein’s daughter, Alex, is a member of the group.
   The staff of Grover’s Mill Coffee House in West Windsor also made a sizable donation to the girls’ project, contributing 60 bulk items to the total, Ms. Weinstein said.
   In working with the girls on the project, Ms. Weinstein said she learned a few things.
   ”I’ve learned that it’s okay to be brave and put yourself out there to help a charity,” she said. “Sometimes you’ve got to take a leap of faith.”