The sale benefited the food bank’s summer meals program.
Students and faculty of Countryside Elementary School in Mt. Laurel recently held a bake sale that raised $900 for the Food Bank of South Jersey’s (FBSJ) Summer Meals Program, which provides nutritional meals to children during the 10-week summer break.
“We are so grateful for Countryside Elementary School’s fundraiser to support our Summer Meals program,” said Joe Njoroge, Interim President and CEO for FBSJ. “Unfortunately, many children who rely on school meal programs are left food insecure for the summer. This fundraiser alone will provide 4,500 meals for local children.”
Countryside Elementary School teachers, who prepared and sold homemade baked goods, held the bake sale in honor of a former teacher, Mrs. Linda Ditta. During the event, children also learned about the food bank’s mission and hunger in South Jersey.
“I am proud of the students and staff of Countryside Elementary for embracing this project and wanting to help children in need,” said Nina Tamburelli, fundraiser organizer. “It was a great way for the students to learn about issues affecting their community and showed them how they could have a positive impact and make a difference.”
Students at Countryside Elementary School also had the chance to learn about hunger in South Jersey and how the FBSJ’s programs help those living in food insecurity. Njoroge visited the school and was interviewed by several students for the school’s morning news show.
This is the second year that Countryside Elementary School has held a bake sale to support the FBSJ’s Summer Meals program. Each year, the school has exceeded their fundraising goals and are hoping raise $1,000 at the next bake sale.
To learn more about the FBSJ’s Summer Meals program, visit foodbanksj.org/summermeals.
