Send a special Valentine and help the hungry in Mercer County

You can honor a loved one or friend with a special Valentine that helps feed the hungry in Mercer County.

The last day of the 13th annual Valentines for Food drive is this Tuesday, Feb. 14. You can purchase a Valentine for Food at McCaffrey’s supermarkets in Princeton and West Windsor for $4.99 when you check out. The proceeds will go to Arm in Arm (formerly Crisis Ministry), the Mercer County non-profit that helps people in need of food, housing and job support. McCaffrey’s is generously matching total purchases up to $5,000.

You can also make an online donation of $10, and a virtual Valentine will be sent out in honor of that special someone.

The community-wide food and fundraising drive is aimed at keeping the organization’s food shelves filled while raising awareness of hunger in Mercer County.

“Families will visit Arm In Arm’s pantries over 21,000 times in 2017,“ said Carolyn Biondi, Arm In Arm’s executive director. “Every time we welcome a customer into one of our pantries, we are grateful to our community for making it possible.”

Several area schools and congregations are participating in Valentines for Food by raising money and collecting food donations for Arm in Arm’s food pantries. Last year the total value of all donations and food collected was more than $30,000.

Food donations can also be dropped off at Valentines for Food information tables at McCaffrey’s. To make a donation to Valentines for Food, visit the Arm in Arm website.