RISE Food Pantry Receives $10,000 Check

in Hightstown received a $10,000 grant Wednesday from Church & Dwight’s Employee Giving Fund.

“With the generosity of our donors like the Church & Dwight Giving Fund we meet the growing needs of so families who cannot afford the basics in life,” Leslie Koppel, executive director of RISE, said in an email.

Tara-Lynn Cesaro, a senior marketing assistant at Church & Dwight, arrived around 10 a.m. and presented a giant check to employees and volunteers of RISE. The organization applied for a grant through Church & Dwight, and was among hundreds of applicants in several categories, according to Cesaro.

“The Rise Food Pantry can only exist with support from our community,” Koppel said.

In 2008 RISE served 4,599 bags of food over the course of the year, according to Julia Badulescu, the food pantry coordinator. This year the pantry has already served 4,650 bags of food as of Aug. 31.

“The Rise Food Pantry will provide over 500 families with food this year.  We added nine more families this past week,” Koppel said.

Koppel and Badulescu stressed the need of everything from non-perishable foods and personal items, to diapers and gift cards or monetary donations to purchase items.

“We need everything,” Badulescu said. 

RISE is kicking off its annual Thanksgiving Program Oct. 3, which will provide families with a basket of food and a turkey for Thanksgiving.

Donations are accepted at the RISE Food Pantry Mondays through Wednesdays from 9 to 11:30 a.m., or by appointment.