Mercer Street Friends is proactively continuing its work channeling food to over 130 non-profits throughout Mercer County’s food emergency network. Also, nearly 1,300 students in Mercer County are enrolled in the Send Hunger Packing (SHUP) program and receive food on Friday nights for the weekend. On March 19, 2020, Greater Trenton CEO George Sowa and Vice President Bryan Evans assisted a group of volunteers at the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank to complete an assemblage of about 469 food packages (860 in total between a group of volunteers on March 18th) for children and families at Trenton Central High School, Joyce Kilmer School, Mott Elementary School, Dr. and Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School.
“We find ourselves at a moment in time that challenges us as individuals, families, and society as a whole,” said Mercer Street Friends CEO Bernie Flynn. “The Mercer Street Friends Food Bank provides an essential service to the neediest among us in Mercer County and the Coronavirus pandemic has stretched us to the limit. Regardless of this extraordinary challenge, our team remains deeply committed to helping to meet the nutritional needs of our community.”
Mercer Street Friends encourages those, who are able, to volunteer at the Food Bank. “Every step is being taken, in accordance with CDC guidance, to continuously deep clean the warehouse and keep our staff and volunteers six feet separated,” said Flynn. “We cannot meet the demand if we don’t have help. All volunteers are screened, asked to wash their hands upon entry and provided gloves.”
Volunteers are needed Tuesdays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to Noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. to help assemble pallets of food and pack bags for the weekend food program destined to children and their families enrolled in Send Hunger Packing. Please contact Sherries Anderson at (609) 278-5546 or sanderson@mercerstreetfriends.org to schedule your volunteer shift.
