Penn Medicine Princeton Health’s annual food drive, Heroes Fighting Hunger, wraps up this month, when the bulk of the food and other items donated by employees, volunteers, and medical staff members will be delivered to feeding programs in Trenton and Plainsboro, N.J.
The food drive at Princeton Health begins or ends each year around Martin Luther King Jr. Day to honor his message of giving back to one's community.
Departments across Princeton Health set up boxes beginning in January where people could drop off donations of non-perishable foods, personal care items, cleaning products, and pet food or pet-related items.
This year, the effort took on added significance in light of rising hunger and food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn.
Feeding America reports that the majority of food banks nationwide saw a record increase in the number of people needing assistance — an average 60 percent jump in demand across the country.
In the early months of the pandemic, roughly 4 in 10 people visiting food banks had never received food assistance before. Nearly 50 million Americans have experienced food insecurity during the past year.
The items donated at Princeton Medical Center (PMC) will be delivered to the Plainsboro Township Food Pantry, which is located near the hospital, and the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen.
Non-hospital locations had the option to choose a food pantry in the communities they serve.