Crisis Ministry Thanks Planet Princeton Readers for Their Generosity After the Fire

Dear Editor:

When an early morning fire broke out December 16 in the Crisis Ministry’s downtown Trenton food pantry, it was just a matter of hours before word was shared, food drives were hastily arranged, and funds and offers of help began pouring in from across Mercer County and well beyond its borders.

Now, as our staff, volunteers, and clients settle in to temporary program operation space lent by First Presbyterian Church of Trenton and in the former Bethany Presbyterian Church, we are grateful to many, starting with the firefighters of the Trenton Fire Department. Their swift and efficient response stopped the fire in under an hour, thus preventing a greater tragedy. Their expertise and professional demeanor in the days following have been a tremendous help.

The coverage by Planet Princeton was timely, thorough, and caring. Initial dispatches on the Planet Princeton website and shares via Facebook and Twitter took on a mini-viral nature that grew quickly into real action by many individuals and community groups. The spread of the news and how to help us was remarkable to witness in real time, and highlighted the connectedness and civic spirit of Planet Princeton’s readers. Many people, in fact, cited Planet Princeton when making donations and offering to organize volunteer activities. A significant but by no means sole example of action that grew out of Planet Princeton’s coverage was the designation by new owner John Procaccini of PJ’s Pancake House as a temporary food drop-off, with pick-up logistics coordinated by Dan Bauer of McCarter Theatre.

While all of the individuals, congregations, organizations, schools, and businesses that have helped us are too numerous to name in this space, we are grateful to you all. You volunteered your time, you restocked our shelves with food, and you empowered us to continue helping our neighbors in need when we were in need ourselves.

We will do our best to thank you personally, if possible, but in the meantime we wish you all a Happy New Year.

The Board of the Crisis Ministry of Princeton and Trenton
Bill Creager and Thalia Mingo, Board Co-chairs
Helen Burke, Gerald Delk, Barbara Flythe, Daphne Jones, Dave Pettit, Deborah Picott, Frederick Van Sickle, Chris Waaben, and Ann Zultner, Board Members