Burlington County hosts canned food drive in January for MLK day of service
MOUNT HOLLY - A new year is underway but Burlington County is continuing its fight against hunger and food insecurity.
The Burlington County Commissioners are hosting a canned food drive now through Jan. 31, with collection boxes at the County Administration Building, 49 Rancocas Road and other county offices and facilities, including the Burlington County Library, 5 Pioneer Boulevard, Westampton.
Only donations of canned food will be accepted. Boxed foods or other perishable items will not be collected.
Collections will be donated to the St. Vincent de Paul Society that will go to their food pantry at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, 260 High Street, Mount Holly, and to the Rowan College at Burlington County food pantry.
More: Joint Base members help partially blind Afghan child get glasses
The county’s monthly food distribution event with the Food Bank of South Jersey will be held from 10 a.m. to noon January 29 at the Burlington County Emergency Services Training Center, 53 Academy Drive, Westampton.
"The Food Bank of South Jersey estimates that more than 52,000 of our county residents are food-insecure, including nearly 18,000 children," said Burlington County Commissioner Director Dan O’Connell.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates 7.6% of homes with children, or about 2.9 million families, were considered food insecure in 2020.
“Our county has not and will not remain idle while there are those living amongst us who are forced to skip meals or go to bed hungry,” O’Connell said. “This food drive is an easy way for all of us to come together and help our neighbors. Contributing a few cans from your family’s pantry can make a world of difference for those who are struggling.”
More: Many in South Jersey struggling to find employment although 'there's jobs everywhere'
The Burlington County food drive is meant to honor Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy and call to serving others.
“Dr. King famously said ‘everybody can be great because everybody can serve.’ This month on his birthday we pay tribute to him and his teachings with simple acts of service that remind us that we must all step up to make our county, state and nation the ‘beloved community’ that Dr. King frequently spoke about,” said Commissioner Felicia Hopson, the Board’s liaison to the County Department of Human Services.
Since the beginning of 2020, the county has partnered with the Food Bank of South Jersey to hold monthly food distributions where those struggling to feed their families or pay bills receive free, non-perishable groceries. It’s become a key component of the County’s COVID-19 response and has had widespread impact.
More than 12,000 residents have received aid from the monthly food distributions since the program started.
Last year, the Commissioners also entered into an agreement with New Jersey Farmers Against Hunger that allows the nonprofit to use a portion of Laurel Run Park in Delran as its headquarters and to grow crops for food pantries to distribute to families in need.
“This pandemic is the biggest challenge many of us have ever faced before. Whether you’ve lost a loved one to the disease or a job or income because of it, we’ve all been impacted in ways large and small,” O’Connell said. “I’m proud our county has stepped up to provide assistance in a variety of ways, and we promise to continue to work with our partners to make sure aid remains available for all who need it.”
This article originally appeared on Burlington County Times: Burlington County Commissioners sponsor food drive through January
