OCC Donating Perishables To Feed Hungry At BEAT Center

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Ocean County College is donating all of its perishable foods to The B.E.A.T. Center of Ocean County due to the college's closure amid the outbreak of the new coronavirus.

The college has been on spring break since Monday, but will move to online instruction when classes resume March 23. In addition, the college has moved to working remotely as much as possible.

With that in mind, its food service provider has been told to gather all perishable foods on campus; those items will be delivered by volunteers with the Ocean County College Foundation to center in Toms River, which comprises Fulfill, the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties; The Peoples Pantry, and the JBJ Soul Kitchen.

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The B.E.A.T. (Bringing Everyone All Together) Center was opened in 2016 through the efforts of the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation as a place where families and individuals can access food and other resources.

OCC Vice President Sara Winchester said the college wants to put it to use to help address hardships caused by the spread of COVID-19.

As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 427 positive tests for COVID-19 in New Jersey, and five people have died from it, according to the state health department, with eight cases in Ocean County.

COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past. Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

"Our foundation, and entire college community, remain committed to serving our students and broader community though this challenge and into our collective recovery," said Kenneth Malagiere, executive director of the OCC Foundation.

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