My husband Bill and I have lived in West Windsor since 1970 and have proudly raised our two daughters, Marcy and Deborah, in this wonderful community. During these years, I have been on the local school board and am the founding president of Boheme Opera NJ, but nothing has given me greater satisfaction than my involvement with Yes We CAN! Food Drives.
Since its inception in 2008 this non-partisan group of volunteers has collected donations at area markets. The fresh produce and canned goods are then used to restock the food pantries operated by the Crisis Ministry of Mercer County.
The pantries, located in Trenton and Princeton, provide free food each month for more than 3,000 low-income individuals, including families, children, the elderly, the disabled, and veterans. A good portion of those who come to the Crisis Ministry pantries are on food stamps, a federal program that provides up to $4 a day per person, and which, by the way, cannot be used for diapers, paper goods, or even toothpaste. No wonder many of our fellow residents face food insecurity each and every day.
Yes We CAN! Food Drives helps to fill that void. Our volunteers have collected 90 tons of food this year alone, which translates to 10 percent of all the food distributed by the Crisis Ministry. We collect the food on a Saturday, and by Monday, the food is on the pantry shelves. See why I feel such satisfaction from all this?
Yes We CAN!’s primary source of donated fresh produce is the West Windsor Farmers’ Market. Since the market opened for the season this past May, our volunteers have collected more than 21 tons. Here’s how it works. Visitors to the market buy fresh produce from the farmers and donate it at our booth. If they choose to donate money, we go around to the farmers and buy fresh fruits and vegetables directly from them. A win-win situation for all.
This Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., is the final market day for the 2013 season. Yes We CAN! volunteers will be collecting fresh produce and canned goods, along with frozen turkeys. Come out and have fun while helping others who face a questionable holiday season.
The market is located near the Princeton Junction Train Station on Vaughn Drive, off Alexander Road. If you’ve never been to the market, you are in for a treat.
Fran Engler
www.yeswecanfooddrives.org
