Paper launches food drive to help neighbors

The Home Reporter and Brooklyn Spectator arejoining the fight against hunger by launching a food drive just intime for the holiday season.

The drive, which will take place from Monday, November 21 toMonday, December 19, will benefit the food pantry run by ReachingOut Community Services, which helps some 4,000 needy families outof a storefront at 7708 New Utrecht Avenue.

Those who wish to participate can put non-perishable, unexpiredfoodstuffs (cans, boxes, jars, etc. ) in boxes that will be placedin local stores, banks and the offices of elected officials.Everything from baby food, to canned fruits and vegetables, toboxed and bagged pasta and rice is needed.

Reaching Out is in dire need of both food and funds, saidExecutive Director Thomas Neve.

These are hard times, Neve stressed. While the need is greaterthan ever, Reaching Out’s resources are more limited, he said,leading the 20-year-old organization to consider cutting off someof the families who now receive food. We’ve discussed eliminating500 families so we can continue doing what we are doing, Nevesaid. So far, we have cut about 50. We are trying to wait, to seeif there’s a miracle.

Food donations will certainly help. So too, said Neve, woulddonations of cash, to help the group pay its rent and electric bill- so much so that he has devised a program, The Gift of Giving,that would allow area residents to partner with Reaching Out. Thosewho wish to participate would pledge a set amount monthly to theorganization. If we can get 200 people to make a $20 monthlydonation, that would pay our rent and electric bill, Nevesaid.

For further information on Reaching Out and The Gift of Giving,go to the group’s website, www.rcsprograms.org or emailinfo@rcsprograms.org.

Drop-off points for food donations include The HomeReporter and Spectator