On Saturday and Sunday, March 28 & 29, 2015, we held our annual Easter food drive at the Shop Rite supermarket in Chester NJ.  It may have been a little chilly, but we collected a plenty of food products, that were distributed to many fine organizations in the area.  In addition to the brother Knights that stood in the cold outside of Shop Rite, a few other brothers had to suffer thought the warm confines of St. Luke’s parish center to help the Columbiettes sort all the food.

RESULTS:

My Brothers,

I am pleased to report the results of the Easter Food Drive. Many thanks to the Brothers, Columbiettes, and members of the St. Luke parish and Confirmation Class who helped over the collection weekend. Their willingness to join in and their unselfish participation in this most worthy event made it easier for all involved. Many thanks to all!!!

Now for some numbers:

At Shop-Rite 363 bags of groceries, 21 hams, and 4 frozen turkeys were collected and pre-sorted for delivery to St. Luke Parish.  In addition, $520.00* was donated by generous Shop-Rite customers.

St. Luke Parishioners donated 72 bags of groceries in recyclable bags as well.

Total composite collection = 435 bags of food. 

At St. Luke Parish the food was stacked and organized on tables and divided among:

• 14 needy families identified through the Washington Township school system – approximately 6 bags each. Each family received a $25.00 Shop-Rite gift card,compliments of St. Luke parishioners. Each school family also received a ham or turkey as available.
•  40 seniors at the Robert Cole Center in Chester – 3 bags each. Each senior occupant received a $20.00 Shop-Rite gift card, realized from the combined collections of Shop-Rite customer and St. Luke parishioner donations.
•  20 needy families identified through the three Long Valley RC parishes and other organizations – approximately 6 bags each. Each family received a $25.00 Shop-Rite gift card.
• 2 larger Veteran families received 8 bags each and Shop-Rite cards in denominations of $25.00

*Note: The total value of the distributed gift cards exceeds donations collected at Shop-Rite. Therefore, the difference was made up from generous donations by St. Luke parishioners.

This year we were fortunate enough to be able to distribute the remaining canned food items and frozen turkeys/hams to the community food pantries below:

• Long Valley Food Pantry – 50 bags
• Grandmother’s Cupboard – OLM –15 bags
• Trinity United Methodist Church – 15 bags & 7 hams
• Drakestown Methodist Church – 15 bags & 1 frozen turkey

In total, over 435 bags of groceries were delivered to various recipients. Recall that the last of the bags that were sent from the Chester Shop-Rite to St. Luke Parish had only two or three boxes of cereal in them.

Assuming the average weight of a bag of groceries is about 15 lbs. per bag (Google), then 15 lbs. X 435 bags = 6,525 lbs., add 21 hams at 12 lbs. each = 252 lbs and 4 turkeys at 18 lbs. each=72 lbs. for a grand total of 6,849 lbs. of food collected and distributed in all.

Again, thanks to all who helped with this most worthy event.

Brother Art Catalusci, PGK