Wegmans Ocean, The FoodBank of Monmouth & Ocean Counties, and The Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County Work Together to Provide 250 Local Families with Holiday Meals
Neptune, December 23, 2015. Children in the Kids Café program receive a hot meal every day during their after-school programs. But when they are closed, particularly over the Christmas and New Year’s Holidays, many families struggle. Wegmans wanted to find a way to give those families a home-cooked holiday meal, so they teamed up with The FoodBank to distribute a frozen turkey and bag of groceries to every child’s family.
“We are big supporters of the work being done at the local Boys and Girls Clubs. The way in which their teams engage children is rooted in enhancing the future of our community through foundational instruction. It is a mission that holds a place in our hearts; one that resonates with our people. As we looked at the needs for the holiday season, we thought of no better way than to work through the FoodBank to provide a turkey and holiday bag for the members of the Boys and Girls Clubs in Asbury Park and Red Bank, as well as wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season,” said John Zammetti, Ocean Wegmans’ Store Manager.
“There are 40,000 children in our serving area that are in food insecure households,” said FoodBank Executive Director, Carlos Rodriguez. “For some of the children in the Kids Café program, it’s the only hot meal they receive all day and it truly makes a difference in their ability to thrive so they can focus on their school work. Kids cannot concentrate when their stomachs are empty. When the program is closed, some families have to go without or stretch their meals so everyone can eat. This donated meal allows them to enjoy the holiday with less stress over food.”
“Our parents get very excited when they can cook a holiday meal for their family, and every time we do this they tell me that it saves the day for them,” said Christy Crank, Red Bank Unit Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monmouth County. “I know for a fact that this extra meal is a great help to our families, so we are very grateful to Wegmans and The FoodBank for working together to make this happen.” said Stephanie D’Alessio, Director of Education and Programs. “This is what community is all about.”