HIGHTSTOWN: Rise fighting holiday hunger

By Amy Batista, Special Writer
HIGHTSTOWN — Rise is teaming up with local businesses and organizations this holiday season to fight hunger.
"For almost 50 years, Rise has served poor and needy people in our community," said Executive Director Leslie Koppel. "Through community partnerships and direct services, Rise assists local families and individuals in recovering from setbacks to achieve their full potential."
Rise is a Community Service Partnership and is the center of social support services to poor and working-poor families in the Hightstown, East Windsor, Cranbury and Monroe region.
Local businesses, organizations, churches, schools, police departments, assisted living places, Girl Scout troops and more have held food drives and donated the food to Rise this Thanksgiving season.
She said that the Thanksgiving food giveaway and hot meal delivery is part of their emergency assistance program, which provides food to 500 families each month at the Rise Food Pantry.
The Rise Food Drive started in early October.
The Thanksgiving Food baskets distributions started on the Nov. 19 from 1- 7 p.m. Additional baskets will continue to be distributed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 20, Nov. 21, Nov. 24, Nov. 25 and Nov. 26.
"This year we had a dozen of our regular volunteers helping out plus another 25 volunteers came to pitch in," she said.
East Windsor resident Tony Zelenak has been volunteering for the past five years. His wife, Gail, has been volunteering for the past six or seven years.
For him, the highlight is "everything, honestly everything, except unloading trucks in the rain."
Rise is the primary non-profit social service organization in eastern Mercer County.
Kerrie Peterson, a long time volunteer with Rise, will be picking up 100 turkeys from Shop Rite on Nov. 25.
A trip she has been making for about a decade, Ms. Koppel said.
"She coordinates with ShopRite of East Windsor to receive the free turkeys that customers can donate with their receipt," she said. "The first day we ran through 180 turkeys. We have 335 families pre-registered in our office and we will have about 50 families walk in or be referred to us by neighboring houses of worship."
"Starting on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, families who called the Rise office were instructed to go straight to the Rise Food Pantry at 225 Franklin Street located on Route 33," she said.
Rise volunteers start their day early on Nov. 19 to make sure that local needy families will have everything they need for Thanksgiving Day.
"Many of the pre-registered families waited on line on the front porch in the cold for hours in anticipation," she said. "We packed a bag of canned goods and a bag of baked goods to get ready for the crowds."
Around noon, Farmers against Hunger pulled up and dropped off four pallets consisting of, 250, 15-pound bags of potatoes, squash, sweet potatoes and apples, she said.
"Shortly afterwards the Rise truck, with volunteer who picked up donations from Mercer Street Friends, pulled up with 180 turkeys and 10 cases each of celery, apples and onions," she said. "We are ready to begin distribution by 1 p.m."
She said that within three hours, all of the turkeys were given out and some clients needed to make a second trip to pick up their turkey.
"We give out mostly canned and baked goods," said Julia Badulesco, Rise Food Pantry Coordinator. "The protein we distribute the most is eggs, which we purchase cheaply in bulk. This turkey really is a blessed feast."
For her, the highlight is how thankful the families truly are.
"It is the best feeling this time of year to make their holiday joyful," she said. "I know that this community is doing (something) good and it makes me happy to be able to help to provide to the neediest among us."
She said how last week a mom came in that had trouble paying her rent.
"I was happy to give her some extra turkey that had just been donated," she said. "I know she really needs the help for her children and this will make it a little easier for her this month."
The Rise Food Pantry faces some challenges. It is limited in its space.
"We have people waiting outside and it can be cold and wet," Ms. Badulesco said. "We just don’t have the room to let everyone in to wait. It is hard for families especially the elderly and young children."
"Our Rise Food Pantry gives food to everyone who walks in our door," she said.
The Rise Food Pantry has a standing policy of helping everyone who walks in," said Juan Cabos, Rise Food Pantry Assistant. "If someone is asking for food, our hearts do not let us turn them away."
He said it’s hard, our families work two jobs and giving out a bag of food helps them scrape by another week without going hungry. "
Rise also works with Americana Diner and Comcast Hot Turkey Dinners on Thanksgiving Day.
"We registered 169 low-income elderly and disabled clients to get a free hot turkey meal delivered to their home," Ms. Koppel said. "Americana Diner cooks the turkey dinner and Comcast volunteers use Comcast trucks to deliver the meals."
In addition to distributing food and running two thrift stores, Rise provides referral and support services to families and individuals in need and a wide range of programs that help struggling members of the community.
She said that they don’t do it alone.
"With the help from supermarkets, bakeries, convenience stores, churches, local schools the municipalities of Hightstown and East Windsor, and residents Rise manages to make the lives of people in need a little brighter," she said.
Rise is also collecting holiday gifts for over 800 registered children whose families struggle to make ends meet. Many business are working with them to "adopt a family" for the holidays to create wonderful holiday members for families who otherwise would go without.
If you or your organization is interested in donating items, please contact Rise at [email protected] or call 609-443-4464.