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December 4, 2012 – Tinton Falls, NJ – A.J. Perri, the leading heating, cooling and plumbing company in central New Jersey and sponsor of the School Holiday Hunger Challenge, wants to continue to raise awareness for the 6th Annual Monmouth/Ocean 2012 School Holiday Hunger 1,000,000 Pound Challenge. The Challenge began on September 17 and was originally slated to end just before Thanksgiving. However, with Hurricane Sandy and the nor’easter that followed, the deadline has been extended to December 14.
The Challenge is the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean County’s part of Students Change Hunger, a combined effort of the NJ Federation of Food Banks, which is made up of six food bank networks that encompass the entire state. Through this program, students from pre-Kindergarten through college work to combat hunger.
Kevin Perri, Vice President of A.J. Perri, states, “We are glad that the disasters we have faced this fall didn’t derail the Challenge. By extending the deadline, the FoodBank will be helping even more of our local families who find themselves in need this holiday season.”
The Challenge is not just a food drive; it’s also a competition between similarly sized schools to see who can collect the most food, as determined by weight. Money may also be donated; every dollar is equivalent to one pound of food. The school in Monmouth and Ocean counties that collects the most food will receive the 2012 Holiday Hunger Champion Trophy. That school can then go against other schools in the state for the Governor’s Cup, awarded by the NJ Federation of Food Banks to the school that amasses the most food.
This year, for the second consecutive year, A.J. Perri is partnering with MOESC – Monmouth Ocean Educations Services Commission. In 2011, MOESC received a Spirit of Giving Award, given to schools that display an extraordinary degree of spirit, commitment and enthusiasm toward fighting hunger.
Beyond simply sponsoring the Hunger Challenge, during the course of the Challenge, A.J. Perri will continue to collect non-perishable food items, both during service calls and at their office. “In addition to the 51,000 children who have received assistance annually from the FoodBank, this year the need will be so much greater due to the incredible losses some of these children have suffered in the past weeks,” says Perri.
The 2012 Challenge is the sixth annual School Holiday Hunger Challenge. In 2011, the students, teachers, staff, and communities of 91 schools in Monmouth and Ocean counties raised over 68,000 pounds of food and over $25,000.
For more information regarding the Hunger Challenge, or to donate directly go to http://www.foodbankmoc.org.
To learn about MOESC – Monmouth Ocean Educations Services Commission, visit http://www.monmouthresourcenet.org/search/maecom/.
A.J. Perri
A.J. Perri is a dedicated to providing total home comfort for their New Jersey neighbors. Based in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, they have over 52 years of experience in the heating and air conditioning, and plumbing industry. They service those in Monmouth, Ocean, Mercer, Middlesex, Union, Essex, and Morris counties.