Turn the page on hunger! Win an eReader at the Monmouth County Library

Turn the page on hunger in April! Help fill the pantry shelves at the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties by donating food items at the Monmouth County Library in April — and participate in a free drawing to win an eReader.

The Monmouth County Library will once again be a part of the county-wide Food Drive throughout the month of April to benefit the FoodBank, said Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the Monmouth County Library.

“The Monmouth County Library has long been an active supporter of local food drives as a way of honoring National Library Week, which falls during April,” Burry said. “Our Library patrons have always been unfailingly generous in answering the call to help the less fortunate, and we look forward to another successful food drive to aid the FoodBank.”

“It is hoped that everyone who comes into the Library during the month of April will donate something to the county Food Drive to enable the FoodBank to provide much needed assistance to our neighbors in need,” said Renee B. Swartz, chair of the Monmouth County Library Commission.
“As another aspect of the Library’s responding to the needs of the community, the Library Commission will sponsor drawings for 15 eReaders, one at each branch and two at Headquarters and Eastern Branch at the completion of the food drive. Our promotion of eReaders will help our patrons become more familiar with the highly popular technology of eBooks.”

Last year the county-wide Food Drive collected 20,488 pounds of food (more than 10 tons), which was part of the 8.5 million pounds the FoodBank has distributed to approximately 260 emergency feeding programs within Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

FoodBank programs reach more than 127,000 individuals in Monmouth and Ocean counties – including 51,000 children, and 14,000 under the age of 5, according to their statistics. In 2012, 49 million Americans lived in food insecure households (comprised of 33.1 million adults and 15.9 million children), according to federal statistics.

“For the past eight years, the Monmouth County Library has been dedicated to assisting the local community food banks in their efforts to feed the hungry while celebrating National Library Week,” said Acting Library Director Judi Tolchin. “This year’s efforts will truly embrace the National Library Week theme – “Lives change @ your library.”

Donations of food items will be accepted at all 13 Monmouth County Library branches, beginning on April 1. All patrons are eligible to complete an entry form for the eReader drawing. Participants may only submit one entry form per day for the drawing.
The Food Drive will run from Tuesday, April 1 to Wednesday, April 30. Donations will be accepted during regular Library hours. Food items can be dropped off at designated areas in each branch. Drawing rules and entry forms will be available at each branch.

Rules for food donations:
The Library cannot accept any food item past its expiration date, items in glass containers, items separated from multipacks, sample-sized items, nor perishable items.  Please avoid “junk food” donations.
Nutritious items most welcomed:
• Canned and dry soups
• Vegetables
• Pastas
• Rice
• Beans
• Tomato and pasta sauce
• Peanut butter and jelly
• Canned tuna fish
• Canned meat
• Powered milk
• Hot and cold cereals
• Baby foods and formulas
• Coffee/tea
• Canned fruit and fruit juices
• Crackers
For more information, please call your local Library branch, or visit the Library’s webpage at www.monmouthcountylib.org