At the moment, a dedicated team of volunteers wants to raise more than $5,000 to purchase new freezers for the pantry.
Things are about to get a little cold this summer, at least that is what the director of the Burlington Township Food Pantry, Domenic Zulla, hopes. At the moment, a dedicated team of volunteers wants to raise more than $5,000 to purchase new freezers for the pantry.
The Burlington Township Food Pantry, a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization, feeds between 65 to 75 families each week, according to Zulla. With the addition of new freezers, Zulla believes the pantry can feed even more.
Zulla said that, with enough donations, he can purchase additional freezers or have enough for one large one. Unfortunately, many of the 24 freezers the pantry already has, do not work properly.
“My dream is to get a walk-in (freezer) but right now, I am looking for at least five to carry me through,” Zulla said. “We need new ones.”
Since the pantry’s inception in 2009, the organization’s board members have always wanted to start a Go-Fund-Me page, according to Zulla. Due to the terms and conditions of being a nonprofit, the members were unable to raise money directly for the pantry.
Luckily, volunteers from McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst base stepped in to help. Master Sgt. Dennis Eberly, who works as an aircraft structural maintenance section chief at the base, was ready to assist. As a volunteer of the pantry since February, Eberly saw firsthand the importance of working freezers and the role they play in feeding the community. The freezers at the pantry have “seen better days,” according to Eberly, and it’s time for new ones.
“I think a lot of people associate the military with deployment and war but we do a lot in the community,’’ Eberly explained.
On the third Monday of every month, Eberly and eight to 10 other volunteers from the base donate their time at the pantry. After seeing a need for working freezers, Eberly developed a Go-Fund-Me page to collect donations. So far, the page has raised $70 of the $5,000 goal.
According to Eberly, $5,000 would cover the price of three or four brand freezers, which can cost anywhere between $800 to more than $1000. Eberly said that hopefully, with the support of residents, they can raise even more than $5,000 in the coming months.
“Whatever we can get will help,’’ Eberly said.
Having more working freezers that operate efficiently would mean the pantry is able to feed additional people and less food goes to waste, according to Eberly.
“They have to turn food away because they can’t store it,” Eberly said. “We don’t want that to happen.”
For those looking to donate food items or volunteer, the pantry is open every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., and is located at 1200 Route 130 North in Burlington Township. For questions, contact (888) 847–3278. To help raise donations for additional freezers, please visithttps://www.gofundme.com/5q9vrcw?pc=sms.
