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Food Bank

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Hunger Finds New Home in Union County

Pantries struggle to stock the shelves as more families go from donating food to asking for help.

The men and women who run food pantries across Union County generally love the holidays. It's the time of year that they know they can count on their neighbors, thankful for their success throughout the years, find it in their hearts to supply enough food to keep the shelves stocked and bellies full. But this holiday season is unlike any many in the pantries have seen. Those who once volunteered or donated food items are alarmed by the new faces they see in line for assistance. Hunger no longer is easily defined as a problem for the unemployed or underemployed. Today, they help men and women from nearby towns, people who don't want their friends and neighbors to see that they need a helping hand. According to Hunger in America 2010: The …

In this Article:

Holy Trinity Interparochial School Westfield Campus (in Westfield Patch), Hunger Leaves Union County Residents with Empty Feeling, Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church (in Westfield Patch), and 8 more ›

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KWC

2:07 pm on Sunday, December 25, 2011

Thanks for the link, jpp. I'll have to check that out next time I am in the Bruns. You would think a big college town in a purplish state would be fertile soil for vegetarian restaurateurs.   more ›

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Hunger Leaves Union County Residents with Empty Feeling

More than 69,000 people — 23,000 of them children — don't have enough food. It's likely that someone close to you needs a helping hand.

Behind a doorway marked “storage,” hungry Scotch Plains and Fanwood residents choose from a modest collection of canned goods, pasta and a few perishable foods, all carefully arranged on tall, metal racks. Madeline Rutkowski, who serves as the Assistant to the Mayor and Township Mayor is obsessed with making the Scotch Plains Food Pantry an invaluable resource for anyone in need. “Some of our clients have just lost their jobs or fallen ill," Rutkowski said. "For them, this is a temporary need. Some, however, some have been coming here for years. We have seen veterans, seniors, singles, and families; we service a varied group of people with different needs. That is why, unlike other pantries where you simply receive a pre-made box, our …

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