The Junior Woman’s Club of Verona will kick-off this year’s Verona Fights Hunger Week on Sunday, October 9. The town-wide food drive will run through Saturday, October 15.
The small town of Verona is a community that is grounded in the spirit of volunteerism and giving. In the fight against hunger, Verona unites as a collective group, connected by the common thread of wanting to make a difference. Local businesses, civic groups, charities, religious organizations and each school participate in this “supersized” food drive.
King’s Supermarket donated the brown paper donation bags which will be used for donations and the store is hosting the Verona Fights Hunger Week kick-off, a shop and drop event on Sunday, October 9, 2016 that will run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Throughout the week, Kings will have pre-filled grocery bags on hand, allowing customers to make “grab and go” donations.
Also on Sunday, October 9, at its Pancake Breakfast from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the Verona Fire Department will offer a promotion of $1.00 off per person with the donation of a non-perishable food. The Pancake Breakfast will take place at Station #2 located at 209 Bloomfield Avenue.
On Tuesday, October 11, Frank Anthony’s will donate a portion of all take out and dine in purchases. On Thursday, October 13, Lakeside Deli will donate a portion of their Take Out Meals.
On October 15, The Juniors will celebrate the culmination of Verona Fights Hunger week on the steps of the Verona Town Hall. The celebration will be held from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Casella and Sons is donating a moving truck which will be filled with the donations and driven to the food pantries.
The number of suburban residents living in or at risk of poverty and hunger has risen dramatically in recent years. Two years ago, in response to this growing crisis, the Juniors organized the first ever Verona Fights Hunger Week. The project was a huge success. Collectively, the Juniors collected and donated over 2,300 bags of food in 2014 and 2015. This year, the Juniors hope to significantly increase the number of bags collected, with donations supporting both the Montclair Human Needs Pantry and The Holy Spirit Food Pantry which is located in Verona
Items needed for donation this year included healthy canned goods, healthy breakfast cereals, canned tuna fish in water, boxed milk, brown rice, diapers, infant formula, Ensure/Glucerna nutrition drinks, laundry detergent, and toiletries and cleaning products.
Drop off locations for donations include Kings Food Market, Walgreens, Verona Community Center, Verona Town Hall, Verona Public Library, Our Lady of the Lake Church, Hardbodyz Fitness, and Jazzercise Verona.
For more information about Verona Fights Hunger Week, or to volunteer to help with this effort, please visit the Juniors’ website or email [email protected].
