Groups Offering Hot Meals For Needy Saturday In Toms River

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Hope Center and Operation Barbeque Relief will be joining efforts on Saturday, Nov. 3, to serve hot meals to residents in need.

The event is scheduled from noon to 3 p.m. at The Hope Center, 253 Chestnut St. in Toms River, also will be doing a coat drive.

David Keith, South Jersey Lead for Operation BBQ Relief, said the organization, which was founded in 2011 in the wake of the devastating tornado in Joplin, Missouri, was deployed in New Jersey and New York after Superstorm Sandy to help victims then. The organization currently is providing meals to hurricane victims in Panama City Beach, Florida.

Keith on Saturday morning said Operation BBQ Relief has provided nearly 2.8 million hot barbecue meals during 37 deployments in 21 states since its inception, including 1,046,528 in 2018. Since they started the Panama City Beach effort, they have provided 693,920 meals, including 17,000 on Friday, he said.

The organization has more than 4,000 registered volunteers who travel to hard-hit areas to barbecue and serve food to hungry people.

"We are here in Toms River to help those who need it most," Keith said. "Please stop by and see us and enjoy a hot barbecue meal."

The HOPE Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization initiated by the Clergy Association of Greater Toms River. Its mission is to provide support, resources, referrals, food to clients as they work to overcome a current life crisis.

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Note: This article was updated to correct the number of meals served since the organization started.

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