Chief Robert Weck, Summit PBA Local #55 and members of the Summit Police Department are excited to announce their 2nd annual food and household goods collection. The event is scheduled to begin Monday May 23rd and will conclude on Monday June 13th.
The Summit Police Department will be partnering with the non-profit organization Family Promise (Union County) to be a recipient of the items collected. In addition to Family Promise, by the suggestion of Geleen Donovan, Executive Director of Family Promise- Union County, the Summit Police Department will also be teaming up with the Junior League of Summit to benefit from the items collected. The Junior League of Summit has been supportive of a handful of families right here in our own community who struggle to supply meals for their loved ones during the summer months.
The “Summit CommUNITY Cares” food and household goods collection was first started in 2015 and proved to be quite successful with over 350 pounds of food collected. This event is held at the end of the school year where it seems to benefit the youth of our communities the most. Sadly, many don’t realize the struggles that countless families face on the day to day, including affluent areas such as Summit. Amanda Parrish-Block, Community Vice President of the Junior League believes, “food insecurity is a growing concern in Summit today. The goods collected in this food drive will directly benefit the families who rely on support that goes on hiatus in the summer.” Exclusively to just New Jersey, it is estimated that over 695,000 children receive free (or reduced) meals during the school year. However what happens once summer vacation starts? A staggering six out of seven children who participate in the free/reduced lunch program will not receive adequate meals during the summer months.
So what can you do to help those children, right here in our own community? The Summit Police Department is asking for your generosity in providing for these children a sense of normalcy and a healthier lifestyle. For a full listing of the items the police department is seeking and addresses for the collection bins (graciously donated by The Liberty Group of Berkeley Heights), please visit the Police Department website at www.cityofsummit.org/spd or the Summit Police Department Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/SummitPD. Those that are willing to contribute items to this event can visit one of the twelve locations where collection bins will be housed: Summit City Hall, MONDO, Junior League of Summit Thrift Shop, the Summit Area YMCA, the Connection for Women & Families, all five Summit public elementary schools and both Summit public primary schools. Please direct further questions to Nikki Griffiths of the Summit Police Department at 908-277-9472, or ngriffiths@spdnj.org.