Volunteers needed at summer food drive in NJ: 'God wants us to do it'
NEW JERSEY (PIX11) -- No questions asked. No judgment passed.
Just a sandwich for someone who may be short on cash, or just wants someone to talk to.
"God wants us to do it," said James Gibbs, a staff member at St. Joseph Social Service Center in Elizabeth. "This is what we're supposed to do. We're supposed to help each other and learn to love each other."
It's something the Center does six days a week, sometimes, giving out a thousand sandwiches a day.
But in the heat of August, the donations they rely on often run dry.
"During the summer, generally we don't get as many sandwich donations because we get our donations from schools, and schools are out for the summer," said Operations Manager Erica Rodriguez.
This week, the Center is kicking off its Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation Sandwich Drive, a program started more than a decade ago by Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (D-NJ 20th District). Hundreds of volunteers packed sandwiches that are now being given out to the community.
It's volunteers like Sylvia Harvey that are the program's lifeblood. She has been coming here three days a week for the last 10 years.
"This is my community, so I wanted to help them out," said Harvey.
They serve around 10,000 people every year, so there's no shortage of heart.
If there's a shortage of anything, it's volunteers.
"We are the hands and face of God for our community," said staff member Hany Lopez. "We try to do the best [we can], but sometimes it's not enough because we need help."
"We just need everyday people to show love to other people because that's something that we're missing in this world," said Rodriguez.
You can sign up to volunteer at St. Joseph Social Service Center online by clicking here.