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The Hotel Tides Annual Food Drive to support Fulfill, the Neptune based food bank that serves Monmouth and Ocean counties, kicks off on Jan. 10. The drive will run for two weeks, ending on Wednesday, January 24, General Manager Ryan Jimenez said.

“Last year we were able to donate 175 pounds of food from our drive,” Jimenez said. “This year we hope to surpass that. It has become a lasting tradition of ours to be a part of this community, give back in anyway we can, and encourage others to do the same.”  

According to Fulfill, the poverty rates in Monmouth and Ocean counties continue to rise, with one in ten people finding themselves without enough to eat. This includes over 21,000 children in Monmouth and 25,000 children in Ocean. 

The overall poverty rate has grown from 6.7 percent in 2005 to an estimated 9.1 percent in 2015. The child poverty rate has grown dramatically in the same time period: 9.3 percent in 2005 to 14.5 percent in 2015.

In 2016, Fulfill provided over 12 million meals through over 300 pantries and soup kitchens; with  46,000 meals serving children, a 142 percent increase from 2005.

Most needed items include; canned tuna, chicken or salmon (in water), canned vegetables, brown, wild or white rice, peanut butter & jelly, pasta, canned beans, lentils or peas, and unsalted nuts, Jimenez said.

Non perishable food may be dropped off from 5 to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Hotel Tides is located at 408 7th Ave. For more information, call  732-897-7744 or email ryan@hoteltides.com.

For more about Fulfill, click here.

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