Community Corner

Chester Food Pantry Closing Gap

Donations continue to pour in, but shortfall remains.

At the beginning of July, Jacki Spinelli returned from the Chester Food Pantry and said that they were in bad shape for their deliveries for Aug. and Sept. The stock left on the shelves had them short over 3,000 lbs. in food and other supplies.  

"We were as low as I have ever seen us," Spinelli said. 

But that low number is deceiving. The pantry is filled with items like pasta, beans and soups but critically low on things like pet food, toilet paper, paper towels and body wash. Since the word went out, Spinelli said that the community has responded, pushing the total collected to just over the halfway point with a few days left to go in the month. 

Over the last weekend, the Mendham Girl Scout Troop 839 placed bins at the Kings in Mendham, the PetValu in Mendham and at the Mendham Borough Library.

Find out what's happening in Mendham-Chesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

A drive has also been started through the internet donation site YouGiveGoods in support of the food pantry, but Spinelli said that she preferred the hands-on donations.

“We need people to personally deliver the items to the food pantry, maybe even with their kids, to see our operation and what we do. We need people to purchase items and drop them in our collection boxes and get into the habit of doing this regularly,” Spinelli said. “This is how we get volunteers, its how we get people to remember us throughout the year, its how people get ideas about other ways to help us.”

Find out what's happening in Mendham-Chesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Spinelli said that a YouGiveGoods drive might be helpful at another point in the year, she was afraid one now would halt the progress made up to this point as people would opt to do that in lieu of a personal donation.

“We are seeing support from and having interactions with people we have never seen before and who, to my knowledge, have not supported the food pantry in the past,” Spinelli said.

As of today the pantry is still in need of:
  • Juice
  • Toilet paper
  • Shampoo
  • Conditioner
  • Deodorant
  • Dish Soap
  • Detergent
  • Paper Towels
  • Canned Meats
  • Coffee

In addition to dropping off the donations at the pantry, located at 100 North Road, there are multiple drop locations throughout Mendham and Chester:

  • Chester ShopRite
  • Chester Library
  • Coldwell Banker
  • Community Presbyterian Church in Chester
  • Ellmann Pools in Chester
  • Mendham Karate Academy
  • MCAW's Hive in Chester
  • Starbucks in Chester
  • Kings in Mendham
  • PetValu in Mendham
  • Mendham Borough Library
  • Weichert Realtors

In addition, the pantry is always looking for people to assist in deliveries as well as assistance in picking up the donations from their drop locations.

Those interested in helping can contact Spinelli at jacki7680@aol.com or 908.879.2548 or 973.876.3181.


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