Toms River’s “Peoples Pantry” Needs Donations; Could Close in July
Last November, 100.1 WJRZ’s “Share the Joy” assisted families in need of food at the holidays as your donations benefitted The People’s Pantry in Toms River. Now, The People’s Pantry is in danger of closing.
The Peoples Pantry Relief Center serves about 4,000 people per month, providing food as well as assistance on applying for government benefits, employment or even a way to get homeless residents off the streets and into a home. Now, the Toms River based organization is in need of help itself.
Peoples Pantry Executive Director Patricia Donaghue said they could close down as soon as July if more funding sources are not found. The pantry has lost a couple of big donors in recent months, but while contributions have dried up, the need for food and assistance has not.
“It’s kind of bleak,” Donaghue said Thursday at the pantry. “We’re in a precarious situation. We need help more now as our big donors have fallen by the wayside. We are between a rock and a hard place.” Donaghue said about 50 percent of the pantry’s clients are 55 or older. “They’re working class, blue-collar homeowners. Most of them are employed. Sandy started a downward spiral for a lot of them.”
Want to help the Peoples Pantry? You can make a donation by visiting the pantry’s website, www.peoplespantry.org, drop supplies off at the pantry, 1769 Hooper Ave., call 732-731-1417 or visit the pantry’s Facebook page for more information.
For more, visit APP.com
