For Ashley George, a public relations specialist in Jersey City, the idea that moving companies might donate food to local food banks made sense. Many people throw out a good deal of stuff when they move. A lot of this is food that could be delivered to a family in need rather than thrown away.
So Move for Hunger was born. By teaming up with relocation companies across the country, Move For Hunger is creating one of the nation’s largest year-round service programs.
Moving companies associated with the program offer to pick up the unwanted, non-perishable food items from people who are moving and deliver it to their local food banks.
For the food banks, who often find demand increasing at the end of each month, this becomes a regular infusion of canned and other non perishable goods.
“Today, we are working with over 600 relocation companies across the US and have collected over five million pounds of food for those in need.” – Ashley George
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“My friend and I started this charity back in 2009 in Neptune,” George said. “His family owns a moving company and noticed a lot of food going to waste over the years, and that is what spawned the idea of Move For Hunger. Today, we are working with over 600 relocation companies across the US and have collected over five million pounds of food for those in need.”
Those “in need,” she noted, include 50 million Americans who struggle to find their next meal, with 1 in 5 children going to bed hungry each night.
Rapid expansion
“In NJ, we have 34 movers and 80 real estate office partners who have donated 407,664 pounds of food to NJ food banks, providing 339,720 meals,” she said. “In Hudson County, we have two movers and 15 real estate office partners who have donated 2,086 pounds of food to New Jersey food banks, providing 1,738 meals. The Hudson County movers are All Season Movers in Kearny and Confianca Logistics in Secaucus, who donate to the Food Bank of New Jersey.”
George said moving companies are paired with different food banks, and allow people to donate food rather than move it to a new location.
“This system produces donations year round,” George said.
While holidays such as Thanksgiving often generate a significant amount of donations to food banks, other times of year these food banks sometimes scramble to meet the need.
“Around Thanksgiving is the only time many people think to donate,” George said. “Often people do not know that these food banks are providing food to their neighbors.”
The donations include any unopened package or non perishable items, from peanut butter to pasta.
The Iron Monkey, a popular Jersey City restaurant on Green Street, recently designated Move For Hunger as their house charity, and will donate proceeds from multiple upcoming events and campaigns.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.