On Monday, November 14, 2016, the Office of Student Government hosted the annual FoodBank Luncheon in Downs Hall. The FoodBank Luncheon helps raise money for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey located in Hillside, N.J. To attend the event, students had to pay $5 and faculty $10. 

This year, the FoodBank Luncheon raised a total of $1,285 for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey.

Many students and faculty attended the luncheon and enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal with a side of live jazz music. The dishes presented at the luncheon included turkey, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce.

"We host this event to help spread awareness," said Hailey Cruz, a graduate student majoring in school counseling and treasurer of the Graduate and Part Time Student Council (GPSC). "This is an annual event and one of our biggest projects...Kean University also has affiliation with the Community FoodBank and students are sent there on a monthly basis to volunteer." 

Rachel Laibson, who is a Major Gifts Officer for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, spoke during the event and pointed out that $1 can help distribute $10 worth of food.

"We appreciate everything that Kean University has done for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey," said Laibson.

With the help from volunteers, "The Community FoodBank every year distributes 43 million pounds of food to over 100 agencies across the state of New Jersey," Laibson said. 

These agencies include soup kitchens and mobile food pantries. More than one million people in the state are food insecure, not knowing when and where their next meal will come. Through the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, thousands of people each month are be able to get food. 

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey's mission is to "provide food, help and hope to children, families and to the community," said Laibson.

To learn more about The Community FoodBank of New Jersey and the fight against hunger, watch the video Serving Food, Help and Hope on YouTube.