Crisis Ministry Seeks Volunteers for Valentines for Food Drive Feb. 1-14

VFF-logo-image-for-webThe Crisis Ministry of Mercer County needs volunteers to hand out fliers to shoppers at McCaffrey’s in Princeton and West Windsor for the 10th annual Valentines for Food drive Feb. 1-14.

You only have to commit to one hour of service. Contact Alicia Morrison to volunteer for a time slot. Email Alicia at aliciam@thecrisisministry.org or call 609-396-9355.

“It’s a great weekend community service opportunity for kids and teens, and there are other slots as well for people who are available during the day,” said Sarah Unger, communications director for the Crisis Ministry. “Valentines for Food is one of our biggest food drives every year, and we’re hoping that 2014 will have a great turnout of support.”

Shop at McCaffrey’s Feb. 1-14 and buy a special Valentine for Food for $4.99 at the Princeton or West Windsor location when checking out. McCaffrey’s is generously matching these purchases.

You can also donate online at the thecrisisministry.org or by mail to: The Crisis Ministry, 123 E. Hanover St., Trenton, NJ 08608; “VFF” in memo line.

In 2013 McCaffrey’s shoppers purchased more than 800 special Valentines totaling $4,128. They war matched dollar for dollar by McCaffrey’s, for a total of $8,256.

You can also host a Valentines for Food door drive. To find out how to hold a food collection drive, call  609-396-9355 or email Alicia Morrison at aliciam@thecrisisministry.org. The greatest need is for canned fruits (low sugar/low fructose), low-sodium canned vegetables, proteins like tuna and salmon, cereals, pastas and rice.

Students and staff at Community Park, Johnson Park, Littlebrook, Riverside Elementary, John Witherspoon Middle School, the Pennington School, Princeton High School, and West Windsor Plainsboro High School South donated a total of 879 bags to the Valentines for Food program  last year.

Members of Christ Congregation, Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton United Methodist Church, St. James Church, St. Paul’s Roman Catholic Church, Trinity Church, and shoppers at Pennington Quality Market donated 432 bags of food.

Donations of $2,840 came from members of All Saints’ Church, Trinity Church, Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton United Methodist Church, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton, Christ Congregation, Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church, Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville, Kingston Presbyterian Church, and Trinity Church Rocky Hill. The Rotary Club of Princeton donated $650.

The total of 1,311 bags of donated food weighed 9.8 tons and was valued at $32,644 — a 40 percent increase over 2012.