These Companies Don’t Mess Around When It Comes to Childhood Hunger

What do these local companies have in common: United Water, Spectra Laboratories, PSEG, BD, Community Bank of Bergen County, Rockland Electric, Sealed Air, State Farm, and Five Star Premier Residences of Teaneck? They are all serious about ending childhood hunger, and they’ve found some pretty creative and effective ways to do it. Some of them are growing vegetables for charities. Some of them are donating money to purchase produce, meat, dairy, and other perishables. Some of are participating in competitions against their co-workers to collect hundreds (and sometimes thousands!) of pounds of food.

In their way, they are all taking on the very serious problem of childhood hunger in our communities. We know that summer is a tough time for many low-income families. When the kids are out of school, parents struggle to pay full-time childcare costs. Parents are also trying to make ends meet without the free lunch and breakfast programs that the kids access during the school year. And to make matters worse, the food pantries usually see a steep decline in donations during the summer months when donors are on vacation.

You can help.

Donate food to the local food pantry. http://cfanj.org/index.php/who-we-are/site-and-warehouse-locations/

Find out how to be an advocate for hungry Jersey kids. http://www.njahc.org/

Grow food for low-income kids and their families. http://ampleharvest.org/

Organize a food drive. http://www.nnjbvc.org/our-work/brown-bag-buddies.html

Give. https://bergenvolunteers.ejoinme.org/?tabid=216331

Pledge to end childhood hunger. http://nokidhungry.org/