“Souper Bowl” Food Drive to fight hunger in our community

The Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA is excited to announce its “Souper Bowl” Food Drive to benefit the Community FoodBank of NJ. The drive will begin on January 18, which is the Martin Luther King Day of Service, and will conclude on February 7, Super Bowl Sunday.

“Now more than ever, it is important to come together to support each other as a community. I am passionate about helping others, and during this time of need I wanted to do something that would make a difference,” said YMCA volunteer Gabrielle Klausner, who is leading the food drive.

Ms. Klausner, a freshman at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Penn., was the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA’s Youth Volunteer of the Year in 2019. While attending Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, she started a group called Beyond the Book Club and partnered with the Y’s School Age Child Care program to bring a love of reading to elementary school children.

“The Community FoodBank of NJ says food insecurity in NJ is projected to rise by 56% as more than 1.2 million people face hunger this year,” she continued. “These statistics are heartbreaking and drove me to take action to organize this food drive. I am looking forward to working with the Y to make a positive impact in our greater community. Together, we CAN make a difference.”

From January 18 through February 7, there will be marked bins outside the YMCA building at 1340 Martine Avenue in Scotch Plains. They are collecting unexpired, non-perishable goods (no glass please), with suggested items including: soup, pasta, canned meals, canned fruits, canned vegetables, and peanut butter and jam.

There is also an online fundraiser associated with the food drive to collect monetary donations for the Community Food Bank of NJ. To make a donation, please visit https://give.cfbnj.org/team/335921.

“We were more than happy to partner with Gabi on this project to continue helping our neighbors in need,” said Kim Decker, the chief executive officer of the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA. “We need to join together to help our community in any way that we can to meet critical needs.”

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The Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA is dedicated to improving the quality of life of the individuals, families and communities it serves through programs and services that build wholeness of spirit, mind and body. The YMCA is a not-for-profit organization founded on Christian principles, serving people of all ages, races, faith, cultures and socio-economic conditions. For information please call the Fanwood-Scotch Plains YMCA at (908) 889-8880 or visit https://fspymca.org. Financial assistance is available for those who qualify.