Maintaining Momentum in the Fight Against Hunger

February 10, 2009

Members of the Rutgers Community:

Your response to the call to support Rutgers Against Hunger (RAH) has been overwhelming.

In the first two months, more than five tons of food was distributed to food banks throughout the state, enabling them to restock shelves where some had been completely bare. Your monetary donations totaling over $15,000 have helped food banks purchase the types of food and supplies most needed. I am also deeply gratified that many of you have decided to volunteer at food banks and shelters near Rutgers or in your hometowns.

Sadly, there is an ever-growing need. More people have lost their jobs and struggle to make ends meet, and each day many individuals are forced to turn to local food banks for food assistance and to soup kitchens for their meals.

RAH continues to partner with the New Jersey Federation of Food Banks on a yearlong food and fundraising drive. The RAH food receptacles that were placed in many of the university buildings will remain there throughout the year. Each month, a new theme will identify the type of donations we will be collecting that month. For instance, February is “Heart Healthy” month, and we are asking for heart-healthy foods such as: canned tuna or chicken (in water); canned fruit (in light syrup); canned vegetables (low sodium); whole grain or brown rice; oatmeal or cereals (low in sugar, high in fiber); peanut butter; beans; and pasta. Please donate if you can.

Many thanks to those university organizations that are finding creative ways to support Rutgers Against Hunger. In New Brunswick, for example, Rutgers University Recreation is sponsoring events throughout this week, with the proceeds going to the Middlesex County Food Organization and Outreach Distribution Services (MCFOODS) and to provide other needed community services.

These immediate efforts are complemented by the wider application of Rutgers’ research expertise in areas such as nutrition and food science, and by the service and outreach of the Rutgers Cooperative Extension, to address food security and nutrition in our state, across the nation, and around the world.

Please visit the RAH website or send an email to rah@rutgers.edu if you need more information or would like to share creative suggestions on how we can sustain a yearlong food drive. I appreciate all you have done in support of RAH and look forward to your continued participation in this most worthwhile cause.

Richard L. McCormick
President
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey