County Commission Collecting School Items

All donations will be given to children of families served by the county food bank.

The Somerset County Commission on the Status of Women (SCCSW) is currently in the middle of its annual “Project First Class” school-supplies collection.  All items donated through the program will be given to children of families served by the Food Bank Network of Somerset County, based in Bridgewater. “This is a chance to help kids start the new school year right,” said Freeholder Mark Caliguire, liaison to the SCCSW. “Many families are struggling to meet basic needs, and school supplies may be out of reach for them financially.” Although all kinds of school supplies will be welcome, the children are most in need of backpacks—even gently used ones—as well as new notebooks, three-ring binders, paper, highlighters, markers, pens, pencils …

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Curbing Hunger Program Begins in County

The program hopes to fill the county food banks.

County officials, federal and state legislators and food bank supporters launched the 18th annual Curbing Hunger food drive Monday to help boost food supplies at the Food Bank Network of Somerset County, the Franklin Township Food Bank and other local food pantries serving Somerset County residents. “More people than ever before are struggling to make ends meet,” said Freeholder Director Patricia Walsh in a release about the launch. “Since the recession began, the Food Bank Network of Somerset County has seen a 25 percent increase in the number of families it serves. Donations have dropped off as corporations, organizations and individuals have had to cut their expenses.” There are several ways for Somerset County residents to participate …

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5 Things

5 Ways to Help the Somerset Food Bank

Check out our list to help get your day started.

Economy Automotive Services is collecting food items for the Food Bank Network of Somerset County throughout the week, from May 8 through May 13, to help school-age children. The items are being collected at the business on Raritan Avenue in Raritan. So to encourage people to donate at some point during the week, we present a list of five items the food bank needs through this donation. For more information, or to find out what else the food bank is looking for, call 908-526-8590.

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5 Ways to Change Bridgewater

Check out our list to help get your day started.

The Bridgewater Township Library is featuring "How Oliver Olson Changed the World" as part of its chapter book club for grades three through four Wednesday afternoon. The book is about a little boy who is told by his teacher that one person with a big idea can change the world. So in advance of the meeting, we present five ways you can change the world in Bridgewater.

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Bat Mitzvah Project Turns Into Food for Charity

Middle school student Jamie Osman collects more than $500 worth of food for charity.

The theme of her Bat Mitzvah was food, and one local student took that opportunity to give some of that back to those in need. Jamie Osman, a seventh-grader at Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School, was already involved in charity work when she decided to add one more act to her resume, donating food collected for her Bat Mitzvah project to the Food Bank Network of Somerset County. Already a regular with the Interfaith Hospitality Network as she volunteered for the dinner shift and to stay with guests, Osman found, with the help of her father Larry, YouGiveGoods, a website that allows people to advertise for donations to local charities. “We created the site together, and put it on Facebook too,” Larry Osman said. “In no time, about $500 worth…

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Food Bins Are Empty, Curbing Hunger Program Hoping to Help Those in Need

Officials celebrate the start of Curbing Hunger month.

With the bins only half full and 25 percent more families looking for help, the county kicked off the annual Curbing Hunger program at the Food Bank Network of Somerset County in Bridgewater Tuesday, hoping to encourage residents to take part. “There has been a tremendous increase in families in need this year, and people who were using us temporarily are now coming on a regular basis,” said Food Bank Network Executive Director Marie Scannell. “We are overwhelmed sometimes, but to have enough food is what we are committed to.” The Curbing Hunger program began in 1995, and is held in June to bring in as much food as possible in the easiest way possible. County residents are given orange bags with their recycling bins, and twice a month, …

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