‘Manufacturing Cares’ – Breaking Food Drive Records
Support Skyrocketed as COVID-19 Brought the World to a Halt
Positive news is hard to come by since COVID-19 took over the world. During these horrendous times, the bright side of humanity tends to poke through all the negativity and uncertainty. The ‘Manufacturing Cares’ annual food drive smashed all previous records which resulted in over 150,000 meals being donated to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey so far in 2020.
When tragedy strikes, especially on the scale of a global pandemic, food banks are pushed to their limits. Mass layoffs, a turbulent economy, and a new wave of food-insecure New Jerseyans turn to food banks to help feed their children, their families, and themselves.
New Jersey Manufacturing Cares
New Jersey manufacturing stepped up. NJMEP set donation records for both cash and food poundage. This was all possible because of efforts by companies like the Kuehne Chemical company donating $5,000 at one time and every individual and organization that contributed. Kuehne Chemical’s donation is the largest single cash gift in the program’s history.
‘Manufacturing Cares’ houses all of NJMEP’s charitable initiatives. The food drive is a ‘Manufacturing Cares’ fundraiser that has taken place since 2014. At first, the food drive mainly collected actual food and it raised over 3 tons, which added up to 16,407 meals. That was far beyond any of the NJMEP team believed ‘Manufacturing Cares’ could accomplish.
To expand the scope and impact, the second year NJMEP partnered with CIANJ and Employment Horizons. Each year the program grew, evolved, and focused on providing as many meals as possible to hungry New Jersey children and families.
Every pandemic is tragedy. 2020 marked one of the most disruptive and devastating pandemics in modern history. There was no telling what it would mean for 2020’s annual food drive.
The economy was crumbling, and more people will be turning to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey than ever. NJMEP pushed hard to keep the ‘Manufacturing Cares’ Food Drive in people’s minds. So many lost jobs, it was unclear if people or companies would have the means to contribute. However, the community expressed an unbelievable amount of support for the cause.
Manufacturers and individuals showed up in a big way. Businesses and New Jersey residents stood up and gave back during these difficult times.
Over the past 6 and a half years, the ‘Manufacturing Cares’ food drive has provided more than 482,000 meals to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. Over $100,000 in cash donations and another 33,762 lbs have been raised, which helped ensure the food bank can continue serving New Jersey residents and that those residents had food to put on their table.
More than 1,000,000 New Jerseyans go hungry every year. A large portion of that number is children. Every dollar provides 3 meals for those in need. There is still time to donate. Contribute today and make a lasting difference in the lives of countless New Jersey residents.
The entire NJMEP team wants to thank all those that support ‘Manufacturing Cares’ and that allows us to give back to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey.