Pictured: Hunger Doesn’t Stop Winter Break Food Drive Sponsor A.C. Marmo & Son’s pictured at School # 12, Clifton: Left to right: Kim Castellano, Power of One Outreach, Joanna Juarbe, Assistant Principal, Maria Talley, Principal, Marisol Rodriguez and Sam Zamloot from A.C. Marmo & Son’s, and Wendy Scrudato, RN.
Schools in Clifton provide thousands of students with breakfast, lunch and for some with dinner. These children are fed through the Free/Reduced School Meal Program and the Minds in Motion after school program at School #12. Unfortunately, many families are dependent on these programs during the year to help feed their kids everyday.
During Winter Break (December 23rd – January 3rd), we recognized an opportunity to help the 20 families the school pantry has been helping. Kim reached out to the community for their support to help feed the families in need during winter break.
After speaking with Mr. Bob Marmo of A.C. Marmo & Sons, a Clifton business owner for over 38 years about the Hunger Doesn’t Stop Initiative, it immediately grabbed his attention since many in his family have been educators for generations. Although A.C. Marmo & Son’s, recently moved from Clifton to Fairfield, New Jersey, Bob thought that it would be a good idea, to give back to the good people of Clifton, who supported his Insurance Agency for so many years. He said, “It would be an honor to sponsor such a worth wild cause to feed the 20 families during the winter break, by purchasing 40 bags of healthy kid friendly groceries.”
Our Back2School Outreach volunteer Deb Sirvidio, also responded to our need for food. Deb asked the guests of the St Philips’s Columbiettes Auxiliary celebration held in December, to kindly bring 1 or 2 food items to help support the School Pantry. Together they collected 30 bags of groceries that helped stock the School Pantry.
You can help Stock the School Pantry by donating non-perishable food items such as hot/cold cereal, meals in a can, fruit cups, juice boxes, mac and cheese, granola bars, fruit snacks, pancake complete mix and syrup, peanut butter and jelly, tuna, soups, and dry milk and drop off at School #12 located at 165 Clifton Ave during regular school hours.
Supermarket Gift cards or check donations can be mailed to Power of One Outreach, PO Box 6080, Clifton, NJ 07015. If you would like to organize a food drive, please contact Kim Castellano at 201-328-2326.
To be added to the email notification list when a crisis arises or an upcoming event, send your name and email to kim@powerofoneccom.org and note that you would like to be added to the list. Your donation is tax exempt and will help purchase food items needed to help stock the School Pantry and provide aid for families in crisis throughout the school year.
Many thanks to everyone, who support the children in the School Pantry program.