September is National Hunger Awareness Month and County Executive Scott Vanderhoef by proclaiming that Sept 9 - 15 is Hunger Awareness & Action Week in Rockland County.
Over the past several years, the number of Rocklanders going hungry has increased. In 2008 People to People was helping about 500 families a month. Last month it was over 1,200 families a month.
One of the events during the Hunger Awareness & Action Week is Stuff a Bus.
A bus was parked in front of the Rockland County main building at 11 New Hempstead Rd on Thursday, Sept. from 9 a.m. - noon and will move to the Robert L. Yeager Health Center, Building A from 1 - 3 p.m. today, Sept. 13. It's located at 50 Sanatorium Rd, Pomona
They are looking for the following items:
- Cereal or Oatmeal
- Canned Juice & Juice Boxes
- Canned Vegetables
- Canned Chili & Beef Stew
- Individual Servings Fruit Snacks
- (Apple Sauce, Peaches, Etc.)
- Soup (Dry & Canned)
- Beans (Dry & Canned)
- Pasta (All Varieıes)
- Macaroni & Cheese (Boxed)
- Flour, Rice & Sugar
- Tomato Sauce & Tomato
- Puree (Canned & Jarred)
- Tuna Fish
- Mayonnaise (Regular & Reduced Fat)
- Cooking Oil (In Plasıc Boı les)
- Peanut Buıer & Jelly
- Parmalait & Powdered Milk
Activities
Several Hunger Awareness & Action Week activities are in the planning stages and more will follow:
- Monday, Sept 10—Spring Valley Mayor Normanie F. Jasmin is hosting a Hunger Awareness & Action Forum for village faith-based leaders from 10 - 11:30 a.m. at the Darden Community Center in Spring Valley.
- Monday, Sept 10—Nyack Mayor Jen White, Nyack Center Executive Director Kim Cross and Serratore are hosting a breakfast for elected, civic and community leaders from 8:30 - 10 a.m. at the Nyack Center
- Monday, Sept 10—Haverstraw Center Executive Director Marion Breland-Oswald, along with Haverstraw Supervisor Howard Phillips Jr., Mayor Michael Kohut, West Haverstraw Mayor John Ramundo are hosting a "Soup and Bread Lunch" at 12 noon at the Haverstraw Community Center.
- Tuesday, Sept 11—United Way Volunteer Action Center is deploying volunteers to area food pantries includign Catholic Community Services and People to People on this National Day of Service.
- Thursday, Sept. 13—Stuff A Bus—A Rockland County Bus will be situated in front of the County Office Building in New City from 9 a.m. - noon and them moved to the county complex in Pomona to be filled with food donated by county workers that same day from 1 - 3 p.m.
- Friday, Sept. 14—Informational flyers on "how to help" area food pantries during the coming months will be distributed at Blue Hill Plaza in Pearl River.
- Food Collections — Food collection efforts will take place at all town and participating village halls and at corporate sites.
How To Help
- Retail stores, local businesses, corporate parks, etc. can hold food collections.
- Civic and community groups can hold food drives at local supermarkets or collect coins to donate to a food pantry or feeding program that assist area residents.
- Rockland residents of all ages can volunteer at local food pantries or feeding programs.
- Restaurants can place coin collection canisters on tables to encourage diners to donate their change to help feed Rockland’s hungry.
For more information about how to support OR to register to benefit from Hunger Awareness & Action Week efforts, please contact:
- Ron Figueroa at Ron.Figueroa@dfa.state.ny.us
- Sister Fran Gorsuch at Fran_Gorsuch@bshsi.org
- Martha Robles at Martha.Robles@archny.org
- Diane Serratore at diane@peopletopeopleinc.org
- Dana Treacy at dtreacy@uwrc.org
