Operation BBQ Relief To Serve 500 Hot Meals To Needy Toms River Residents

Toms River NJ

07 April, 2021

4:37 PM

Description

Press release from the Township of Toms River: April 7, 2021 The meals will be distributed in front of the Hope Center, 253 Chestnut St, Toms River, from 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. The event was coordinated by DRJ Catering in partnership with the Hope Center, a 501 © (3) non-profit organization initiated by the Clergy Association of Greater Toms River. As recommended by the CDC, we are practicing social distancing and limiting interactions. The food distribution will be performed drive-through style. Please keep your windows closed and pop the trunk and we will deliver the food to the trunk or truck bed of your vehicle. This will be the fifth time that Operation BBQ Relief has helped Toms River. They served meals to Superstorm Sandy victims and came to town on three other occasions to serve needy families in 2018, 2019 and 2020. David Keith, Area Coordinator for New Jersey, and owner of DRJ Catering said, "It is so great to be back for a fifth time serving this awesome community. I wish this were not necessary but so glad we can be there to serve that one hot meal that matters over 500 times. Thank you to the Hope Center and the Mayor's office for all their assistance and support." Councilwoman Maria Maruca said, "We are so grateful for DRJ Catering and Operation BBQ helping to feed our residents with a delicious barbecue meal as families continue to struggle because of COVID. They have been a great partner with us in the past and I cannot thank them enough for their generosity to our community." Mayor Maurice Hill stated, "Since the beginning of the pandemic, Toms River has provided food distributions on Fridays from 9-1 at the First Presbyterian Church in conjunction with Fulfill and donations from local farmers and grocers. In the past Operation BBQ Relief has provided hot meals on several occasions. We are very pleased that they will be providing hot meals for residents this Saturday. We deeply appreciate Operation BBQ Relief's commitment to our community in this time of need." About Operation BBQ Relief® Operation BBQ Relief is a 501©(3) non-profit organization that was founded in May 2011 in response to a need for tornado relief efforts in Joplin, MO. Competitive pit masters from eight different states answered the call to feed displaced families and first responders. Together, they were able to serve over 120,000 meals in a thirteen-day period. To date, Operation BBQ Relief has provided over 8 million meals throughout the United States and internationally following natural disasters and through The Always Serving Project, benefiting the homeless, first responders, veterans, and service men and women. In response to COVID-19, Operation BBQ Relief has served 4.5 million meals. In total, over 5 million meals were served in 2020 in 30 different states. For more information, visit www.obr.org or follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @opbbqrelief About the Hope Center The Hope Center is a 501 © (3) non-profit organization initiated by the Clergy Association of Greater Toms River. Their mission is to provide support, resources, referrals, food to clients as they work to overcome a current life crisis. This press release was produced by the Township of Toms River. The views expressed here are the author's own.