RECAP Seeking Donations For Food Drive

MIDDLETOWN – Regional Economic Community Action Program’s Nutrition Program is seeking donations for the agency’s annual Thanksgiving Drive. The event brings together donors, community groups, volunteers, and staff to organize turkeys, stuffing, gravy, vegetables, and more into Thanksgiving packages to help the community’s neediest residents prepare a holiday dinner. The most needed donations are turkeys, canned gravy, boxed stuffing, canned yams and sweet potatoes, instant potatoes, pie and cake mix, and canned fruit & vegetables. Monetary donations are appreciated and contribute to bulk purchases from local food banks. Donations are accepted until Friday, November 17 at RECAP’s Nutrition & Advocacy Program at 119 East Main Street in Middletown.

The drive served 497 families last year and volunteer participation is immensely important to its success. “Local businesses, organizations and groups can help us by having food drives of their own. Start early and make it a friendly competition,” said RECAP’s Coordinator of Human Services Francine Tavares who oversees the Nutrition Program’s food pantry and organizes the drive. “This is our biggest event of the year and it’s rewarding to see the community come together to help hundreds of people.”

September is National Hunger Action Month and Tavares was at Shoprite on Dolson Avenue in Middletown on September 20 for the store’s annual Help Bag Hunger event. Local hunger action agencies bagged groceries and distributed information about their work as part of the store’s ShopRite Partners in Caring Fund to help fill the shelves of local food banks.