Scout, volunteers complete J’burg food cupboard move

Massimo Valiant recruited volunteers and planned the massive task of carting and sorting food on the shelves of the new Deacons’ Food Cupboard building in Jamesburg. JAMESBURG — A move long in the making for the Deacons’ Food Cupboard has been completed, thanks in part to a local Boy Scout.

The new food bank building outside the Presbyterian Church of Jamesburg was dedicated in January, and on a recent Saturday the unassuming steel building was a hub of activity as more than 30 volunteers worked to cart the food in from other buildings where it had been stored temporarily.

The food is now neatly sorted onto shelves, thanks largely to the efforts of Massimo Valiant, who made the effort his Eagle Scout project. Massimo, a member of Boy Scout Troop 54 in Jamesburg, recruited volunteers and planned the massive task.

The food program, run by a board of church deacons, has grown from serving about 15 families in one room of the church building to the point where 134 families — for a total of 392 individuals — are served on a monthly basis. The families are mostly from Jamesburg, Helmetta and Spotswood. Food is dispensed to qualified residents on a nonsectarian basis.

The cupboard benefits from the work and donations of many volunteers and organizations in the community. The Boy Scouts and the post office each hold major drives annually to help stock the shelves, and many other groups and individuals, as well as other religious organizations, pitch in with their own food drives.

Among the companies that donated materials for the new food distribution building are Sherwin Williams, Renaissance Properties, P.J. Hye Construction Co., Lowe’s of Marlboro, Northeastern Lumber of Jamesburg, Dominicus Plumbing, JAFCO Air Conditioning and Grant Plumbing Supply.

Despite their generosity, the church has incurred about $35,000 in outstanding expenses to complete the food pantry. Those interested in helping meet the financial obligation can send a tax-deductible donation to the Presbyterian Church of Jamesburg, Food Pantry Building, 175 Gatzmer Ave., Jamesburg, NJ, 08831. For more information about volunteering or donating food or money, leave a message at the church office at 732-521-1711.