Hightstown's Rise Food Pantry is one of the lucky recipients of Alaska Airlines' #MillionMealsChallenge donations, according to NJ.com.

The airline found themselves with a ton of unused food as a result of temporarily suspending their inflight food service, so they've been donating it. They've been working with services across the country that provide less fortunate families with food, especially those affected due to the coronavirus health crisis.

So, how did Alaska Airlines find out about Hightstown's Rise Food Pantry? Stephanie Derr is a manager for Alaska Airlines at Newark Liberty International Airport and also the fire-police captain for the Hightstown Fire Department. She was the one who made her company aware of the need in Hightstown.

Derr told NJ Advance Media, "Well, they’re doing a drive-by food pantry on the weekends and the traffic in town, you just know that’s where everybody’s going and to see the amount of cars that are going that are really in need right now is just staggering to me. Soon as my company announced this, they were my first thought."

Many, many people right here in our area have found themselves needing help to feed their family for the first time ever after losing a job. The unemployment rate in New Jersey, and all over the world, is alarming.

On Friday, that help arrived in Hightstown, with Derr and her colleagues donating five pallets of food, on behalf of Alaska Airlines, to Rise Food Pantry. The food will allow the group to give out almost 2,000 meals and snacks to their local families in need.

Rise Food Pantry is located at 116 North Main Street in Hightstown, NJ. Click here to learn more about their services and how you can help.

 

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