By Mayor John McCormac

One of the most important missions that my Office and Municipal Councilwoman Debbie Meehan continue to embrace every January is the Have-A-Heart food drive geared to keep the Township’s food pantries stocked throughout the year – particularly the past year as COVID-19 continued to impact our Township.

I am pleased to report that this year, Township corporate offices, businesses, schools, community organizations, schools and residents continued their participation in the Have-A-Heart food drive, as We Feed Woodbridge received more than $30,000.00 in cash donations and more than 25,000 pounds of non-perishable food to support the efforts of local food pantries in their work to aid needy families throughout Woodbridge Township. More than 100 Township corporations, businesses, retail outlets, school students, charitable organizations and residents contributed to the Annual ‘Have-A-Heart’ food drive.
Councilwoman Meehan and I offer our congratulations and thanks to all of the Principals, teachers, counsellors – and most importantly the students and parents – who once again collected thousands of pounds of food for the Have-A-Heart food drive.
The ‘Have-A-Heart’ food drive, so named because it runs through Valentine’s Day, is launched each January by the Woodbridge

Department of Health & Human Services and the We Feed Woodbridge Food Bank Foundation. The ‘Have-A-Heart’ food drive, established in 1995, works with area food pantries, churches, parishes, schools and community and senior organizations to replenish and restock food pantries. This year, the ‘Have-A-Heart’ food drive issued a “2/14” challenge to Township corporate offices, businesses, retail outlets, food stores, restaurants and hospitality industry, charitable organizations and residents to donate 214 pounds of food or contribute $214 to assist food pantries continue their work in providing food and meals to less fortunate residents and the homeless.

The food items will be distributed to needy Woodbridge Township families and individuals through the following food pantries:
• Heavens Helper’s Pantry, 343 Pearl Street, Woodbridge
• First Presbyterian Church, 1295 Oak Tree Road, Iselin
• Trinity Episcopal Church, Trinity Lane, Woodbridge
• Metro Park Assembly of God, 48 Berkeley Blvd., Iselin
• First Presbyterian Church, 600 Rahway Avenue, Woodbridge
• St. James Roman Catholic Church, 174 Grove Street, Woodbridge
• First Presbyterian Church of Avenel, 621 E. Woodbridge Avenue, Avenel
• First Congregational Church, Barron Avenue, Woodbridge
• St. Cecelia Roman Catholic Church, 45 Wilus Way, Iselin
• Fellowship Bible Church Food Pantry, 121 East Prospect Ave., Woodbridge
• First Baptist Church of Woodbridge, 130 Sewaren Avenue, Sewaren
• Deacons’ Table Soup Kitchen, Good Shepherd Parish, 625 Florida Grove Road, Hopelawn
• Trinity Episcopal Church Soup Kitchen, Trinity Lane, Woodbridge

The year-round effort to keep Woodbridge Township food banks stocked continues with food donations being part of every election and Township-sponsored events to include: The Mayor’s Summer Concert series, Music on Main Street & Woodbridge Wednesday concerts, the Barron Arts Center summer programs and concerts and other Township-sponsored public events. Non-perishable foods can be dropped off any weekday at the Woodbridge Township Public Health Center, 2 George Frederick Plaza, between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM. Additional food drop-off locations are at Woodbridge Town Hall, 1 Main Street, the Woodbridge Library, 1 George Frederick Plaza, or the Woodbridge Community Center, 600 Main Street.

For more pictures see the March Issue.