A Hillsborough food bank is the recent recipient of a donation from a local group of aviation enthusiasts.
Atoms RCers, a Hillsborough Township-based model aircraft club, announced that the organization made a $250 donation to the Community Assistance Network (CAN) Food Bank at an Aug. 13 Hillsborough Township Committee meeting.
Hillsborough CAN is a township organization that provides food and necessities to Hillsborough families facing financial difficulty. The CAN stocks canned and non-perishable food items, baby supplies, household cleaning supplies, paper products, personal hygiene items, pet food and cat litter.
President of the Atoms RCers group, Andrew Walters, presented the check to Hillsborough Township Mayor Frank DelCore and the committee members at the meeting as a way to thank the municipality for allowed use of their facilities during the group’s annual swap meet events.
The Hillsborough aviation group is an Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) chartered club with more than 20 registered local members. The club welcomes guest pilots and the general public, but an AMA membership is required. Walters said at the meeting that the group is generally intended for people with an interest in radio control, scale, gas and electric model airplanes.
Some of the group’s benefits include an open membership, club cookouts and picnics, regular meetings, pilot instruction training, club-only events and activities and efforts to support various charitable causes.
One of these causes, Walters said, includes the CAN food pantry in Hillsborough. Following a presentation of the donated check to the township, the group president expressed his gratitude toward the municipality for allowed continuous use of their facilities.
“We are privileged by Hillsborough to hold our annual swap meet here and as part of that, we would like to give back to the community,” Walters said. “In particular, [we would like to give to] the Community Assistance Network, the food bank here, as a token of our appreciation.”
DelCore accepted the donation for the food pantry on behalf of the municipality and explained to people at the meeting the significance of community assistance and support for the local cause.
“We are always grateful for support for the Community Assistance Network,” DelCore said. “You would be surprised sometimes when we recognize how blessed we are to live in a community like this. But no matter how blessed we are, there are always those that could use some support, so donations such as this go a long way to help those in our community who need the support.”
For Hillsborough residnets who are interested in getting involved with CAN to donate either time or talents, prospective volunteers may sign up to organize food drives, bag groceries, coordinate special events and learn more about these opportunities by contacting Hillsborough CAN at 908-369-3880 or visit the township website at www.hillsborough-nj.org.
Officials from the organization said they accept canned goods, pasta, paper products, over-the-counter-medications and other supplies to assist families in the time of financial crisis. Donations of items or food store gift certificates accepted as well according to the group’s website.
The group’s website also says volunteers are welcome in the Social Services Department. Volunteer opportunities include: answering telephones; scheduling transportation for seniors and CAN clients; and general office duties such as filing and data entry.
CAN volunteers are needed to check expiration dates, sort groceries, prepare groceries for clients, inventory control, and to rotate the food supply, according the site. All volunteers must have a Municipal Volunteer Form on file as well.
For more information about Atoms RCers, contact the group at 856-981-7867 or visit the club’s website www.atomsrcers.net.