Blogging Out Hunger Returns

My friend Deb over on Jersey Bites invited me to join the 2nd Blogging out Hunger campaign to help raise awareness and donations for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey -- the largest food bank in the state. Two years ago, when Roxy's Bay Head Blog, Roxy's Best Of... New Jersey, and Roxiticus Desperate Housewives participated in the first ever “blog burst" to fight hunger in New Jersey, over 122 bloggers posted about the Community FoodBank’s desperate need for donations.

As the 2010 holiday season approaches, we are hoping for even more bloggers to jump on board and help us spread the news about the 20th Anniversary of the FoodBank’s “Check out Hunger” campaign which is going on now through December. Check-Out Hunger is an annual awareness campaign and fund raiser for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey which actually began in New Jersey and is now run at supermarket chains across the northeast. I know you have seen those tickets at the check out counters of your local grocery stores, including Kings, Shop Rite, Wegmans, A&P, Food Basics, Foodtown, Pathmark, Super Fresh and Wawa. Please don’t ignore them. The Community FoodBank of New Jersey reports that need for nutritious food is up 30-40 percent at its partner agencies (soup kitchens, pantries, shelters, etc) this year.

We're hoping our efforts will compel everyone to do something, anything, to help. Visit the Community FoodBank of New Jersey at www.njfoodbank.org or call 908-355-FOOD (3663) to learn more. What can you do?

1. Make a monetary contribution: Visit http://www.njfoodbank.org/.


2. Donate food: Drop off a bag of food at your local food pantry.


3. Organize a food drive: We can help explain the logistics of starting a food drive. Just call 908-355-FOOD.


4. Help "Check Out Hunger:" Look for the "Check Out Hunger" coupons at your local supermarket and donate. No donation is too small! In 2009 Check-Out Hunger crossed the $2 Million plateau for the first time. The campaign raised $2,093, 086 for food banks across the state. Since 1992, millions of people have supported the program at food markets and online at http://www.checkouthungernj.org/. Please make it a point to donate during the holiday season to the Check Out Hunger campaign.

Also, please visit the blogs below to check out their “Check out Hunger” posts.

JerseyBites

Roxy's Best Of...New Jersey

Roxiticus Desperate Housewives

JerseySmarts

Random Cravings

GServo

This list will continue to grow as the day goes on. If you are a blogger in New Jersey, please join in our efforts and feel free to jump on board even if you didn’t commit to participate. Just send a link to your post to info (at) jersey bites.com and Deb will get you listed. If you know of a blog in New Jersey that you think should be involved, please email them a link to this post.

Blogging Out Hunger On Music Monday: We Can't Let This Bank Fail. 100 New Jersey Bloggers Unite to Help the Community FoodBank of NJ

It was 1985 when USA for Africa recorded "We Are the World" to raise awareness of hunger in Africa. Today, I'm posting this Music Monday video to raise awareness, not of hunger in Africa, but of hunger right here at home in New Jersey. Over 100 New Jersey bloggers have united to fight local NJ hunger in a coordinated "This Bank Can't Fail" blogging campaign for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey on Monday, December 15th. Our goal is to spread the word about the increased demand being put on the food pantries in New Jersey and how everyone can help.



No matter how you feel about the government bailout of the nation's largest banks, I think you'll agree that there's one bank that we can't allow to fail: the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. As you are probably well aware, the Food Bank is in desperate need of donations this holiday season. With bare shelves and demand for food among state residents far outpacing supply, the FoodBank is in danger of being unable to meet the needs of New Jersey’s hungry.

Our team of NJ bloggers will be in good company. Legendary music icon Bruce Springsteen will be lending his voice to the fight against hunger in New Jersey by headlining "We Can't Let This Bank Fail" -- a major advertising campaign and call to action for people to contribute in any way they can to help the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. Although Bruce Springsteen has been a supporter of the FoodBank for 23 years, often donating proceeds from his concerts to the organization, this ad marks the first time Springsteen has publicly lent his image to the campaign, due to the urgency of the situation.

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey is facing a dire shortage of food. Without the public’s support, it may, for the first time in its history, begin to ration food. This is a state-wide crisis, with the unstable economy resulting in a 30 percent increase in those needing food. In years past, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey has provided assistance to more than 500,000 New Jerseyans, but expects to see a major uptick in need this year, especially during the winter months when people often struggle between paying heating and food bills.

We're hoping our efforts will compel everyone to do something, anything, to help. Visit the Community FoodBank of New Jersey at www.njfoodbank.org or call 908-355-FOOD (3663) to learn more.

There comes a time, when we hear a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And it's time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all

We can't go on pretending day by day
That someone, somewhere will soon make change
We are all a part of God's great big family
And the truth you know
Love is all we need

chorus:
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So let's start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me

Send them your heart so they'll know that someone cares
And their lives will be stronger and free.
As God has shown us by turning stones to bread
And so we all must lend a helping hand

When you're down and out, there seems no hope at all
But if you believe there's no way we can fall
Let us realize that a change can only come
When we stand together as one

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted.