Mt. Pleasant Middle School has earned the “Division 4: Most Meals Donated” award from the Community Foodbank of New Jersey (CFBNJ)! MPMS participated in Students Change Hunger, a food drive challenge initiative by the Federation of New Jersey Food Banks. Schools throughout the state competed with each other to collect as much as possible for their local food bank. MPMS collected and donated $653 to CFBNJ, equaling 1,959 nutritious meals!

“We thank Mount Pleasant Middle School for being a valuable partner to CFBNJ and working diligently to support our neighbors in need during these challenging times,” said CFBNJ’s Schools and Community Outreach Manager, Diana Levy, LSW. CFBNJ will present MPMS with this award during a virtual award ceremony in the near future. 

According to CFBNJ, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, food insecurity in New Jersey is estimated to have risen by 56% as more than 1.2 million people face hunger, many for the first time.  This harrowing statistic includes nearly 400,000 children.

Students Change Hunger gives students from across New Jersey the opportunity to get directly involved in the fight against hunger.  This year, students in CFBNJ’s service area collected more than 24,000 pounds of food and $14,600.  This is enough for more than 64,000 nutritious meals.