Readers urged to 'make the safety net strong'

Kudos to Greg Bean for his insight regarding hunger in America in a recent column. As the director of the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, I am always grateful to anyone who opens the door of hunger awareness a bit further and asks others to help those who suffer from the effects of hunger.

Your challenge to readers to make a difference in the fight against hunger was extremely timely. The summer months can be tough ones to those who do not have enough to eat. Interests turn to vacations, and food drives drop. School lunches have ended and so have the one nutritious meal many children receive. In our area, rents soar.

However, the safety net is in place and, gratefully, has become stronger in some spots. For instance, the state of New Jersey has supported Gov. [Jon] Corzine's Initiative to Fight Hunger by allocating $3 million to regional emergency feeding operations for the purchase of nutrient-dense foods. These funds should feed an additional half-million people this year. The N.J. Department of Agriculture has developed the State Food Purchase Program to administer this funding and has assisted emergency feeding operations in finding local sources to purchase healthy foods which will be distributed to member agencies (food pantries, shelters, day-care centers, etc.).

For those readers who would continue to mend this fragile net, I would encourage them to donate most-needed canned goods or funds on a regular basis; plant a row for hunger in their vegetable garden and donate the harvest to a local food pantry; initiate a food drive in their place of business; honor a loved one's birthday, special day or memory with a donation, or volunteer their time.

I agree with you - we all have the power and the tools to make the safety net strong and to end hunger in our time.

Susan M. Kelly

executive director

FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties

Neptune