We hope you will join us for a great service opportunity on Sunday, November 15 from 1:45- 3:45pm, when we will be volunteering at the New Jersey Farmers Against Hunger Annual Thanksgiving Packing Event.
Every year, Farmers Against Hunger volunteers come together to pack upwards of 3,000 bags of mixed fall produce for a special Thanksgiving distribution. The bags are delivered to families in need across NJ just in time for the holiday.
This year’s event will take place on Sunday, November 15th from 1:45 to 3:45 pm at Tri-County Cooperative Auction Market, 619 Route 33 West, Hightstown, NJ.
Please RSVP to Brian Lestini. We recommend wearing warm layers and gloves because we will be packing outside. There will be appropriate social distancing. Masks required. Individually wrapped snacks will be provided. Bring your own beverages.
Farmers Against Hunger is our local mission partner, which recruits volunteers to gather extra produce from area farms to direct to local food banks. Not only does this help with the problems of food shortage and malnutrition, but also has environmental benefits as food waste is a huge strain on the environment (1 in every 3 bites of food is wasted, and it’s been said that if food waste were its own country, it would be the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gases after the US and China!).
At the event, we’ll spend a couple of hours on a loading dock, packing bags with fall produce that are then loaded onto trucks for distribution to families in need for the holiday. We participated last year, and it was a lot of fun (they even had hot chocolate, cider and pumpkin donuts!). We will also be bringing back produce for our own St. Matthew Thanksgiving baskets that will be packed and delivered the weekend of 11/16.
While the event is open to all congregation members, it’s especially suitable for families with children in grades 3-12