Summer Food Drive Helps Kids

The Northern New Jersey Business Volunteer Council (BVC) recently completed “Brown Bag Buddies,” an initiative to collect food for children of low income families. Fifteen companies took part, collecting and distributing over 5,000 lbs of food, valued at almost $16,000.

“The wages of the working poor have not kept up with housing, transportation and child care costs," says Tess Tomasi, BVC coordinator at the Volunteer Center of Bergen County, sponsor of the BVC. "Northern New Jersey has the highest child poverty rates in the state. Without school meals, families must turn to the food pantries to provide nutritional meals for their children during the summer.”

Since 2000, the BVC’s “Brown Bag Buddies” campaign has raised over $200,000 in food and donations to help provide meals for children who aren’t receiving school meals during the summer.

For information about the BVC and its activities throughout the year, contact Tess Tomasi at 201-489-9454, ext. 114 or email ttomasi@bergenvolunteers.org.