The Burlington County Commissioners are collecting canned food now through the end of the month in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his call to service.
Collection boxes will be in the lobbies of the County Administration Building at 49 Rancocas Road and other County offices and facilities, including the Burlington County Library, 5 Pioneer Boulevard, Westampton.
Only donations of canned foods are requested. Please make sure all donated items are unexpired and before the sell-by date.
“Dr. Martin Luther King said: ‘everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.’ We all can step up and perform simple acts of service,” said Burlington County Commissioner Director Felicia Hopson, the liaison to the Department of Human Services. “This canned food drive provides an easy opportunity for all of us to come together and help our neighbors and bring us closer to the ‘beloved community’ that Dr. King frequently spoke about.”
In addition to the drive, the Commissioners also announced the County would hold another food distribution event with the Food Bank of South Jersey on January 28 in the parking lot adjacent to the Burlington County Institute of Technology, 695 Woodlane Road, Westampton. From 10 AM to noon, food insecure families can pick up free boxes of groceries and other food items.
Close to 30,000 people living in Burlington County are believed to be food insecure because they cannot afford adequate supplies of nutritious food, according to Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization.
“Food insecurity is a hidden crisis with far too many families suffering in silence while lacking adequate and nutritious food,” Hopson said. “Our board remains committed to fighting hunger and food insecurity in our county, but we cannot do it alone. Contributing a can or two of food can make a world of difference to a family in need.”
