The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
The Franklin Food Bank was one of four Somerset County food pantries to recently receive a total of $25,000 in donations from the Somerset Patriots minor league baseball organization.
The checks were presented by Somerset Patriots Co-Chairmen Jonathan and Josh Kalafer as part of a “Somerset Challenge” matching grant that produced more than $50,000 in total donations during the recent holidays. The donations are expected to help tens of thousands of Somerset County residents in need.
The Food Bank received a donation of $9,145.
The campaign represented a collaboration among the Kalafer family’s businesses, the Somerset County Board of County Commissioners, and the Somerset County Office of Emergency Management, which encouraged public donations to the local food banks and pantries.
“We applaud the generosity of the Somerset Patriots and the Kalafer family, in helping us raise awareness and funding to address the serious food insecurity problem we are facing this holiday season,” Somerset County Commissioner Director Shanel Y. Robinson said in a press release about the donations. “High food prices and reduced federal support have created a serious shortfall in resources to address hunger here and across the country.”
The other food pantries receiving matching grants from from the Patriots, Clinton Honda and Land Rover Princeton were:
- My Neighbors Pantry at Zarephath Church: $3,170.
- Food Bank Network of Somerset County: $3,540.
- Feeding Hands Inc.: $9,145.
“Unfortunately, food insecurity in our area is at a point that demands immediate attention and support from our community,” Josh Kalafer said in the release. “No one should be unable to provide food for their family or not have the assistance available to them through local food banks and organizations.”
“The Somerset Challenge was an aggressive campaign that asked everyone to do their part to help those in need,” Jonathan Kalafer said in the release. “We challenged our entire community to help us make a difference and they did not let us down.”
The Somerset Patriots are the New York Yankees Double-A Affiliate and were the 2022 Eastern League Champions. They play their home games at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater.
