BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — As the federal government shutdown continues, a food donation drive is currently underway in Burlington County to help replenish community food banks, which will be experiencing record demand due to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding freeze, which began on November 1.

Burlington County government offices and libraries, as well as those of state representatives, are currently collecting shelf-stable pantry items now through November 28. Suggested donated items include:

• Canned chicken or tuna
• Canned vegetables
• Canned fruits
• Canned soups
• Canned beans
• Pasta, jar sauce
• Rice
• Peanut butter and jelly
• Cereal, oatmeal and granola bars
• Baby food

All Burlington County offices and Libraries within the Burlington County Library System, including the Bordentown Library, located at 18 E. Union Street in Bordentown City, are serving as donation sites. Please note that these locations are collecting canned goods ONLY. For a listing of Burlington County offices, CLICK HERE. For locations of Libraries in the Burlington County Library System, visit https://bcls.lib.nj.us/.

All food items are being collected at the District Offices of 7^th District Legislators, who represent Bordentown and Fieldsboro:

• Office of Senator Troy Singleton, 400 North Church St., Ste. 260, Moorestown
• Office of Assemblywoman Carol Murphy, 750 Centerton Road, Mount Laurel
• Office of Assemblyman Balvir Singh, 8008 Route 130 North, Ste. 450, Delran

More than 800,000 New Jersey residents will be impacted by the United States Department of Agriculture’s announcement that it will not fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits starting on November 1, says Governor Phil Murphy. Almost half of those impacted are children, nearly one in three have a disability and one in five are over the age of 60, according to Murphy. 

Over 24,000 Burlington County residents are currently enrolled to receive SNAP benefits, including some 14,700 children, according to Burlington County.

In addition to the canned food drive, Burlington County has updated its online directory of Food Pantries and Hot Meals Resource Guide. The 19-page guide provides a comprehensive list of locations and contact information for food pantries operating in the county, along information about free hot meals for those in need. The guide can be found at https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/19940/FOOD-PANTRY-BOOKS-PDF .

Original Article