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Special free* showing of the award-winning documentary FOOD STAMPED with panel discussion and Q&A at Princeton Public Library. Find out what it's like to eat on $6 a day for two people, and that doesn't include personal items, like paper products.
This humorous and award-winning documentary, directed by Shira and Yoav Potash, follows this couple as they attempt to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet within a budget of about $1 per meal, per person — the approximate amount of food stamp benefits for low-income Americans. Along the way, the filmmakers consult with members of Congress, food justice organizations, nutrition experts, and people living on food stamps.
Following the hour-long film, there will be a panel discussion that include the directors via Skype; Julia Hicks de Peyster, a former resident of Princeton and graduate of Princeton University ('86), who attempted to feed her family of five on the allotted food stamp budget for forty days; Mark Smith, the Crisis Ministry's Hunger Prevention Director, and Rucha Gadre of Mercer Street Friends, who is the outreach coordinator for SNAP, formerly the Food Stamps Program. The panel moderator will be Liz Cohen of Yes We CAN! Food Drives, a volunteer group that collects food donations for the Crisis Ministry.
The film is sponsored by Princeton Public Library as part of the Princeton Environmental Film Festival and is shown in collaboration with Yes We CAN! Food Drives and the Crisis Ministry.
*Donations of fresh produce will be gratefully accepted at the door.
As the National Day of Service approaches on September 11, our Yes We CAN! Food Drive volunteers are gearing up for a busy day of performing good deeds, along with thousands of other Americans who will observe the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks by engaging in community service activities.
Yes We CAN! Food Drives will set up three food collection sites on September 11, where shoppers will be asked to buy extra produce or canned food to help the Crisis Ministry replenish its food pantries in Trenton and Princeton.
Food collections will take place at Princeton McCaffrey’s from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., West Windsor Farmers’ Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Pennington Quality Market, from 11 to 3:30.
Additional adult and teenage volunteers are needed to help at the collection sites on September 11, as well as at upcoming fall and winter food drives. Volunteers are asked to assist on a Saturday on a one-time basis or more frequently, if time permits. Each person signs up to help at a particular market and for a specific 90-minute period.
“Volunteering on a Saturday just takes ninety minutes,” explains Liz Cohen of Princeton, founder of Yes We CAN! Food Drives, “but our volunteers are making a big difference in fighting hunger in Mercer County.”
To volunteer, click on the “Volunteering” section of this website.
Since May, Yes We CAN! Food Drives volunteers have been collecting fresh produce every other Saturday at the West Windsor Farmers’ Market and what a success it has been. As of the end of August, shoppers at the market have contributed 8,806 pounds of fruits and vegetables and, in addition, have made $2,025 in cash donations!
Volunteers from our group ask shoppers at the market to either donate some fresh produce they have purchased from the farmers or to give us cash so that we can go over to the farmers’ tables and buy the food directly from the farmers. Oftentimes, the farmers themselves give us their leftover produce after the market closes. All the food we have collected that day is then turned over to the Crisis Ministry for distribution at the pantries.
“What a great feeling to be able to provide such an abundance of beautiful fresh food to those in need,” says Jenny Silverman, co-chair of the Yes We CAN! Food Drive at the market.“Rarely do the clients who use the Crisis Ministry food pantries have fresh vegetables and fruit in their diets, since mostly boxed and canned food is on the pantry shelves.”
The West Windsor Farmers’ Market will remain open until the end of October. Yes We CAN! Food Drives will be collecting food there on September 11 and 25 and October 2, 16 and 30. The market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and is located on Vaughn Drive, off Alexander Road in West Windsor.
Anyone interested in helping out at our collection booth can sign up for a specific 90-minute period by contacting Alison Politziner at a.politizner@gmail.com.
Yes We CAN! Food Drives received the “Cream of the Crop” award from The Crisis Ministry for our “innovative and outstanding efforts to prevent hunger in Mercer County.” The award, which was created to thank individuals and organizations for exceptional service, was presented by Jarrett Kerbel, Executive Director of the Ministry, at our May reception for Yes We CAN! volunteers, which was held at the home of Liz Cohen, co-chair of the coordinating committee.
The Crisis Ministry food pantries in Trenton and Princeton currently provide free food each month to 3000 individuals, including 1000 children. As explained by Jarrett, “We had no idea what would happen when the Yes We CAN! volunteers first offered to collect food for our pantries. Now, they are rapidly becoming our largest stream of donated food for our clients and an inspiration to our staff. They are like the postal service―they work in sleet, cold, and heat.”
Since Yes We CAN! Food Drives began in December 2008, our volunteers have collected 77,000 pounds of food (38 tons) from shoppers at Princeton McCaffrey’s, Pennington Quality Market, Ewing ShopRite and Montgomery ShopRite. During the growing season, our volunteers also collect food products from the West Windsor Farmers’ Market and Pennington Farmers’ Market.
“It’s a win-win arrangement,” said Jarrett. “The participating groceries and farmers report an increase in purchases when Yes We CAN! shows up. In fact, Princeton McCaffrey’s reports they have to provide extra stock during a drive.”
Yes We CAN! volunteers now number 109 and include students from Trenton School District. A number of these students were present at the volunteer reception because of their work as volunteers for Yes We CAN! Food Drives. The students participate in Trenton Central High School’s ScienceMentors 1 to 1, a volunteer program directed by Maureen J. Quinn that matches a mentor and a high school student to develop competency and self-esteem by applying the scientific method to environmental issues facing society.
Mark Smith, Crisis Ministry Food Services Director, reported that while 75 percent of the food pantry donations go to Trenton residents, the Ministry pantry in Princeton now services 200 families, a 100 percent increase in the number of families receiving food. The Princeton pantry is located in the basement of Nassau Presbyterian Church on Nassau Street, where donations are welcome.
Anyone interested in learning more about Science Mentors should click on www.sciencementors.org.
Here’s a win-win situation. Yes We CAN! Food Drives will be collecting fresh produce at the West Windsor Farmers’ Market beginning Saturday, May 1, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and every other Saturday through October. Our volunteers will ask market shoppers to donate some fresh vegetables or fruits to restock the food pantries at the Crisis Ministry. Rarely do the individuals using the pantries have the opportunity for fresh produce. The farmers at the market also benefit from the additional revenue from the food donations; many of the farmers themselves regularly donate some of their remaining produce at the end of the day. See — it is a winning situation!
| Upcoming West Windsor Farmers’ Market Dates | |
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May 1, 15, 29 June 12, 26 July 10, 24 |
August 7, 21 Sept. 11, 25 Oct. 2, 16 |
The day was sunny and bright and thousands of people flocked the streets of Princeton, New Jersey, on Saturday, April 24th for the annual Communiversity Day, a time when the town and Princeton University join together in celebration of town-gown activities.
Along with merchants, musicians, performing and visual artists, and food vendors was a booth set up jointly by The Crisis Ministry and Yes We CAN! Food Drives. Our volunteers, along with Jarrett Kerbel, Executive Director of Crisis Ministry, reached out to the visitors as they passed our strategically-placed booth, right near the corner of Witherspoon and Nassau Streets.
Children were encouraged to play “pitch the ball in the can.” Each successful pitch meant that Liz Cohen, chairperson of YWC, would donate a can or box of food to Crisis Ministry. Adults were encouraged to volunteer for one of our food drives or to at least be aware of our upcoming food drive efforts at local supermarkets. All in all, a successful day.
Pennington Post, September 1, 2010:
Yes We CAN! Food Drive prepares for National Service Day
Town Topics, May 19, 2010:
Yes We CAN! Food Drives Honored for Contributions to Crisis Ministry
Pennington Post, March 25, 2010:
Yes We CAN! food drive salutes PQM manager Don Rellstab
Times of Trenton, February 16, 2010:
Compassion Boom
Times of Trenton, February 15, 2010:
Teens Give Help, Pantry Offers Hope
The Princeton Packet, December 11, 2009: (link to come)
Pennington Post, November 11, 2009:
Yes We CAN! collects $450, 122 food bags at PQM drive