By DON STINE
The Ocean Township police department is teaming with the Lunch Break organization to collect food for needy families over the summer.
“Lunch Break called us and said they have teamed up with other police departments and we thought this was a great idea and jumped on,” Ocean Township police Lt. Greg Schenck said.
The police department and Lunch Break are holding a “Spring into Summer Food Stock Up” for families in need of food during the summer months. During the school year many students receive breakfast, snacks, lunch and weekend meals through their school but, in the summer, they depend on Lunch Break to help keep these families fed.
“We are trying to make a difference here with that,” Schenck said.
Lunch Break is a non-profit organization that helps local families by not only providing hot meals in their Red Bank location, but by providing a “grocery store” of donated items where people can choose the foods they will eat, as opposed to being given items that they may never eat.
Ocean Township Police has food collection points in the lobby of police headquarters, in the lobby of the municipal court, and in the lobby of the municipal offices, all located at 399 Monmouth Road. Monetary donations can be dropped off at the police department’s front desk.
Schenck said he hopes residents support the program.
“Please stop by with your donation and make a drop in the bins,” he said.
Then, on June 24, from noon to 2 p.m, Lunch Break will be at the Ocean Township Police Department for a “Stuff the Truck Party.” The food donations will be weighed, the truck will be loaded, and the totals will be announced.
At the same time, Igloo Italian Ice, at 2005 Route 35, will provide free ice cream and ices to people participating in the project during the two-hour “Stuff the Truck Party.”
Although this is the first time the Ocean Township police are participating in the program, Schenck said he sees no reason it will not participate again in the future.
“It seems like a good thing and anything we can collect is worthwhile,” he said.
