SOUTH BRUNSWICK – The Lions Club once again supported the greater community by making a significant donation to a local food pantry/resource center for working families.
The Rev. John H. Maltby, president of the South Brunswick Lions Club, presented Bentley Community Services (BCS) with a generous donation of $500 at its February meeting.
“We appreciate the services that Bentley provides to working families having difficulty making ends meet and they are making a difference among this population,” Maltby said of the organization, which specifically addresses the needs of working families in financial crisis who are ineligible for most governmental assistance.
“We are honored to be the recipients of this generous donation,” said Dorothy Stearns-Holmes, founder/executive director of BCS. “The Lions Club is a charitable service organization, itself helping important causes and individuals in the communities. We truly appreciate this donation that will help us as we continue our important work.”
Bentley Community Services, located at 4064 Route 1 north in Monmouth Junction, assists those who are ineligible for assistance as they earn above state and federal guidelines.
“These low, moderate and higher income families are not reaching financial stability and security. The most underserved population in America, these families are in financial crisis in food insecure households, as research shows they cut back on groceries and basic needs in order to pay their mortgage, rent, utilities and other important monthly expenses,” Stearns-Holmes said.
By BCS providing meat, chicken, dairy, fresh quality breads and baked goods, fresh vegetables and fruits, non-perishables, toiletries, household products, adult education and resources, the money saved on crucial staples enables BCS families to pursue goals that move them away from bankruptcies, evictions and foreclosures that threaten them, and on to financial stability, according to Stearns-Holmes.
“With numerous job lay-offs, individuals working fewer hours and earning less pay, the higher costs of living and groceries, diminishing healthcare, an unforeseen emergency or medical expenses, so many working families are struggling in the lingering, unstable economy,” she said.
“Their households are food secure with nutritious, healthy foods to feed their family. They apply this savings towards their monthly bills and expenses, pay down debts, and allocate monies for repairs as they move forward towards financial solvency.”
The Lions Club of South Brunswick is part of the world’s largest service club organization that helps those less unfortunate, addressing blindness, drug abuse, diabetes awareness and other problems and finds help and training for the deaf, disabled, underprivileged and the elderly.
For more information on The Lions Club, email [email protected].
For more information on Bentley Community Services, call 908-227-0684 or visit www.bentleycommunityservices.org.