April 21, 2006 – Students, teachers and staff at 143 Middlesex County schools collected 54.6 tons of canned goods and non-perishable food, baby supplies and personal items during the 2006 spring food drive sponsored by M.C.F.O.O.D.S. (Middlesex County Food Outreach Organization and Distribution System).

Both the number of schools participating and the amount of food collected are records for the annual school food drive, now in its seventh year of operation.  Last year, 135 schools collected 40 tons.    All the food and supplies collected will be distributed to more than 60 Middlesex County food pantries and soup kitchens that are part of the M.C.F.O.O.D.S. network.  The 2006 drive ran from March 13 until March 24.

“The growing enthusiasm for this project is amazing.  Our warehouse has never been this full,” said M.C.F.O.O.D.S. Coordinator Jennifer Apostol.

Middlesex County Freeholder Blanquita Valenti, County liaison to M.C.F.O.O.D.S., said that the collections from the drive should help offset the growing need for food at food pantries throughout the County.

“Because of the tough economy, the food pantries and soup kitchens that rely on M.C.F.O.O.D.S. to keep their shelves stocked are serving more and more people,” Valenti said.          “Thanks to this tremendous effort by the students and their teachers, we are now able to give the distribution centers as much food as they need, but if this kind of demand keeps up, we will need to have additional food drives to see us through the summer,” she said.

During the drive, students brought canned goods and non-perishable food items, personal supplies such as toothpaste and deodorant, and baby supplies such as diapers and wipes to their schools.

The items were placed in green plastic collection bins provided by the Middlesex County Improvement Authority (MCIA).  Staff members from the MCIA and the County Parks, Roads and Public Property Departments collected the bins and transported them to the M.C.F.O.O.D.S. warehouse on Jersey Avenue in New Brunswick, where they are sorted by other volunteers.

The three schools that collected the most food and supplies are:

• East Brunswick High School (100 containers, 5,000 pounds)
• Campbell School in Metuchen (88 containers, 4,400 pounds)
• Middlesex County Academy for Science, Math and Engineering Technologies in Edison (76 containers, 3,800 pounds)

Schools that collected 1,500 or more pounds of food and supplies are: 

Livingston School in New Brunswick (3150), Piscataway VoTech (2500), John Adams School in North Brunswick (2050), Frost  School in East Brunswick (2000), Herbert Hoover Middle School in Edison (2000), Moss School in Metuchen (1850), Barclay Brook School in Monroe (1850), Benjamin Franklin School in Edison (1700), Metuchen high School (1700), Brookside School in Monroe (1650), Roosevelt School in New Brunswick (1650), South River  Elementary School (1650), Martin Luther King School in Edison (1600), Harry S. Truman School in Parlin (1600), Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Edison (1500), Emma L. Arleth School in Parlin (1500).

Along with the food and supplies, M.C.F.O.O.D.S. received a $147.93 supermarket gift certificate from the kindergarten and first grade students at the Schoenly School in Spotswood.  The children had collected pennies to use in counting projects earlier in the school year, and then used the money to purchase the gift certificate as part of the food drive effort.  M.C.F.O.O.D.S. also received $63 in supermarket gift cards from Benjamin Franklin School in Edison.  The funds were left over from a Holiday Care project sponsored by the school’s PTA.

Valenti said residents are reminded that donations are accepted year round at the public libraries in Edison, Milltown, Monroe, North Brunswick, Plainsboro, South Brunswick, Spotswood and Woodbridge.

M.C.F.O.O.D.S. also conducts year-round food collection programs and works with local corporations to sponsor drives at their facilities. The M.C.F.O.O.D.S. goal is to have at least one 2-week-long corporate food drive each month in order to sustain the local food pantries. Anyone interested in sponsoring a food drive should call (732) 729-0880 for more information.

A complete list of schools participating in the 2006 food drive is attached.