Parker: Mercer Street Friends distribute 3,000 turkeys
Denalerie Johnson-Faniel, executive director of Mercer Street Friends Food Bank, associates and volunteers distributed 3,000 turkeys that weighed more than 60,000 pounds to local organizations as Thanksgiving food preparations ramped through Mercer County.
Mercer Street Friends Food Bank planned distribution of food for an estimated 50,000 Thanksgiving meals in Mercer County for families and individuals struggling with hunger.
The staff and volunteers at the Food Bank’s largest single distribution of the year were joined by New Jersey’s Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher.
The turkeys will be accompanied by fresh produce and government, state and donated foods in order to provide enough supplies to make a complete Thanksgiving Dinner.
These items will be distributed to food pantries, shelters and soup kitchens throughout Mercer County, including Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, Arm in Arm, Homefront, Rescue Mission of Trenton, and Mt. Carmel Guild.
“The provisions the Food Bank supplies are a vital link to fighting poverty and building a stronger Mercer County community focused on moving our hungry families from striving to thriving,” Dr. Denalerie Johnson-Faniel, noted via email.
“The Food Bank supplies nutritious options to a network of more than 80 food pantries, senior centers, college food assistance programs, schools, shelters, soup kitchens, meal sites and more. Over 12,000 people who face food insecurity are served each month through the partner agencies that Mercer Street Friends directly provides with fresh produce, protein, dairy, grain varieties and meal staples.”
Mary Beth, a volunteer, unwrapped a pallet packed with boxes of celery.
“I worked for a supermarket for almost 30 years but now I volunteer twice a week here at Mercer Street Friends,” she said.
“It’s a joy to see food going out to people in need. I’ve volunteered for over three years now. It never gets old. I always feel blessed about being here.”