Lacey Township Food Bank

	Lacey Little League - Opening Day 2018 Thank you to the Lacey Little League for inviting us to opening day! The weather was perfect, the people many, and Lacey baseball got a great start. We were invited to be among many local businesses and clubs to display our van and accept food donations from the players. Thank you for your continued support!

	Meet Luci Street shown here with her dad. This amazing young girl observed Lent by holding a food collection for us and just see what she collected - a whole shopping cart of pantry goods for our shelves. Luci, you are a dynamic voice for caring and giving and all of us at the Lacey Food Bank thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

MARCH IS LACEY FOOD BANK MONTH Our Friends at Caffreys, once again are holding a month long benefit for us with customers, employees, Joe Pasquale & Dan Coleman all helping  to fill the big donation jug at the front desk.   UPDATE: Generous patrons and staff filled that jug this year with $1200 ! And for that we thank them ! CAFFREY'S was one of just two regular benefactors of the food bank way back when it was struggling to keep going, and their support inspired our Esteemed Sponsor program which recognizes the need to have a continuing source of income - the glue that holds us together. The program started modestly with less than 15 sponsors and now has over 100.  Some of the original sponsors have been with us for the 15th year  now. Our goal has always been to have one sponsor per one client family but as  client roles soar - going from 47 back then to over 240 now - reaching that goal is quite a challenge. Thanks to all of the good guys at Caffreys for their commitment in seeing that no one in Lacey go hungry.

	A "SOUPER" DRIVE Our friends at Mill Pond School did it again. Honoring Superbowl week, they held a "souper" soup drive for us, just in time to fill the bags for February's distribution. And this winter nothing is more warming than a hot bowl of soup. Thanks to all the students, teachers and staff at Mill Pond for thinking of us . Another "Soup-er" Drive Thanks to the 2nd grade students at the Cedar Creek Elementary School,  our soup shelves are looking good, just in time for distribution on March. And with this blustery month of March, the clients appreciate every bowl of it.   Organized by their teachers, Mrs. DiGregorio and Mrs. McCue, the students aided by the entire staff at Cedar Creek, filled crates of  (prized by the stores master) of soup.   Thanks to all of you for your kindness to those in need.

	2018 Lacey Food Bank Volunteer Luncheon Starting off the New Year celebrating a year well done, and the friendships forged among them, over 70 volunteers joined the chairmen for a holiday luncheon at the Captain's Inn. Joining them were our unsung volunteers from the Lacey Recreation Dept who deliver each month  to over 40 clients who are unable to come to the foodbank.   The hit of the day was the drawing from the bountiful prize table, donated to us by many of the business in Lacey - from car washes & haircuts to bottles of wine.   The LFB gives thanks to all the dedicated people who form our volunteer force, working as a vast majority of tasks, from performing as store masters & packer sackers  to picking up food at drives, to tending to the food left in the bins at ShopRite.   Wouldn't you like to join our elite & friendly volunteer force? Call or email volunteer chairman Pete and he'll get you started. 609-402-5105 or captpete100@gmail.com   (CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE) A HUGE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE FOOD DRIVES   BY the end of 2017, the cupboards were bare and...we got an unexpected visit from  Pam & Doug Sedeyn from Lanoka Harbor, with 90 BAGS OF GROCERIES collected during  holiday festivities with friends and family. This kind of giving is the reason that the food bank is able to keep up with the demands on our resources. From dropping food into the bins at ShopRite, donating holiday turkeys & hams, individual food drives, organizational & school drives- it's all thanks to your generosity. The Lacey Food Bank is a true community effort. Our thanks go out to all of you.