Pound for pound, concert series helps restock pantry Concert series nets 40,000 pounds of donated food for needy families BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer WOODBRIDGE - Over 40,100 pounds of much-needed food was collected during eight concerts in the annual Mayor's Summer Concert series held outside Woodbridge High School in July and August. "The collection of food allows for a better quality of life for people to have access to food and meals," said Mayor John E. McCormac. The Woodbridge Department of Health and Human Services and the We Feed Woodbridge Food Bank Committee sponsor the summer concert series. They work with area food pantries, churches, schools and community and senior organizations to replenish and restock food pantries. The concerts started in 1999. McCormac was joined by Peter Barcellona, chairman of the We Feed Committee, Dennis Green, director of health at the township Department of Health and Human Services, and members of the 10 different food pantries throughout the township, to announce the amount of food collected during the concert series at a press conference at the Woodbridge Health Center on Sept. 7. Township officials had collected 3,600 pounds of food from the concert the night before, on Sept. 6. The food, which included canned goods, cereals, spaghetti, rice and coffee, was distributed to the 10 food pantries throughout the township. KATHY CHANG Approximately 3,600 pounds of food was collected at the last concert of the Mayor's Summer Concert Series on Sept. 6. Township officials collected over 40,100 pounds of food over the course of the eight-concert series. The 2007 summer concert food drive, which started three years ago, netted more than 40,100 pounds of food, which was 8,100 pounds more than the 2006 collection of 32,000 pounds. According to a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture report, more than 14 million American families - 11.9 percent of all U.S. households - are at some time during the year uncertain of, or unable to purchase, enough food for their family. "The annual Mayor's Summer Concert food drive is without doubt the most important undertaken each summer to replenish dwindling stocks of food at township food banks," said the mayor. The mayor added that Paul Sansone of Sansone Route 1 Auto Mall has sponsored the concerts for several years and offered raffles of electronics including an iPod and a stereo as an additional incentive for concertgoers to bring food for the food banks. Members of the food banks said they were happy and grateful for the food collected. "This is the toughest of my eight years at [the St. James Roman Catholic Church]," said Peggy Catalano, the coordinator of the food pantry, which serves, on average, 160 to 175 families. "We actually ran out of soup. It has been a struggle, but we managed to get the food to the families. This food will be a big help." The other nine pantries each help 40 to 60 families on average. Barcellona said the food pantries cater to approximately 5,000 families a month. The food collected is sorted by volunteers from the Department of Health and Human Services and area food bank volunteers and is distributed to township families and individuals in need through the food pantries. The ongoing effort to keep township food banks stocked throughout the year continues with food donations being part of various township-sponsored events such as the Election Day food drive and the Cast a Can When You Cast Your Vote program, the Barron Arts Center Holiday Concert, and other public events. Nonperishable foods can be dropped off any weekday at the township Public Health Center, 2 George Frederick Plaza, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Additional food drop-off locations are at town hall, 1 Main St., the Woodbridge Library, 1 George Frederick Plaza, and at the Woodbridge Community Center, 600 Main St. Additional information about the We Feed Committee food bank committee is available by contacting Peter Barcellona at (732) 855-0600, ext. 8034.