A new effort is underway to connect efforts to feed the hungry in our towns. Read more from Claire Sinclair:
I started Feed SOMany after seeing a post on Swap SOMa Lounge about the empty shelves of St. Joseph’s food pantry in Maplewood.
St. Joseph’s Food Pantry, Maplewood, NJ
The post spread like wild fire and there were so many questions about what was needed and where it should be delivered.
Someone suggested that there be a group of its own and I mentioned that I would be happy to take that on. I contacted the heads of Our Lady of Sorrows and St. Joe’s food pantries as well as Chris Dickson and David Wagner of Rent Party/BackPack Pals to see if they’d be on board with me sharing and they all were.
There are plenty of people in our own towns who are hungry and in need of the pantries and so many people willing to help. Sometimes those reminders are all it takes. I started Feed SOMany on Tuesday afternoon and invited a bunch of local friends. We are already up to 330-plus members.
Kristen Ryan, another Maplewood mom, is willing to help be an administrator.
Someone posted that the Can Can sale at Shop Rite is going on right now — simple reminders like that are what I was hoping for.
I posted a list of the most needed items and if there is a call for certain things, it would be a great way to get the word out. If a school is having a food drive, or an organization is running a collection, we can post it here. I am encouraging people to share and spread the word.
Visit Feed SOMany here. Message Claire Gianni Sinclair or Kristen McEntire Ryan on Facebook to request an invitation to join.
