For the fourth consecutive year, Move For Hunger teamed up with the New Jersey Jeep Association to host a food drive at the association's annual Jeep Invasion in Wildwood.
Members of our staff, volunteers, and our friends from Atlantic Coast Moving & Storage, a National Van Lines agent, were on hand for two days to collect non-perishable food donations in exchange for raffle tickets.
Hundreds of Jeeps streamed onto the beach over the course of the weekend, and it seemed nearly all of them came loaded with boxes or bags filled to the brim with canned goods. Some sent a passenger to deliver the packages as they queued up for a parking space. Many trekked across the length of the beach in the late-June heat carrying multiple bags in each hand.
When all was said and done, we had collected over 4,650 pounds of food - a new record for Move For Hunger at the NJ Jeep Invasion. That's the equivalent of 3,875 meals to help the Community Food Bank of New Jersey - Southern Branch feed our South Jersey neighbors in need!
Our partnership with the NJ Jeep Association has now resulted in a grand total of 11,866 pounds of food - nearly 9,900 meals - being donated to food banks and pantries in the area!
There are over 1 million people struggling with food insecurity in New Jersey; one in six children in the state are unsure of when they will have their next meal. We can't solve the problem in a weekend, but the food collected at this event will provide vital assistance to the food bank during the time of year it needs it the most.
THANK YOU to our volunteers, most of whom were helping out at the Jeep Invasion for the second year in a row. We had a great time getting to know all of you!
THANK YOU to everyone who stopped by our tent to make a donation. Your generosity was overwhelming.
THANK YOU to our friends at Atlantic Coast Moving & Storage for donating the use of your truck, volunteering to assist with the food drive, and delivering the collections to the food bank. None of this is possible without you.
And last, but certainly not least, THANK YOU to the New Jersey Jeep Association for supporting our cause and allowing Move For Hunger to be a part of this event year-after-year.
Fight summer hunger by hosting a food drive in your community. We'll help get you started!
