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Johnson & Johnson fills critical Full Service Schools need

May 8, 2017

 

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care recently led, in partnership with United Way of Northeast Florida, a “Munch Madness” food drive to help replenish the food pantry at Englewood Family Resource Center. Johnson & Johnson — along with Publix, Florida Blue, Acosta, Merrill Lynch, Englewood High School ESOL Department, Holiday Hill and Lutheran Social Services — were able to donate $800 in cash and more than 500 food items, making the food drive a huge success.

Englewood Family Resource Center is one of eight Full Service Schools sites located in Duval County. Full Service Schools of Jacksonville is a neighborhood-based collaborative
approach to serve the therapeutic, health and social service needs of at-risk students and families in Duval County. Each year, approximately 35,000 people are served through the Full Service School program. One way the immediate needs of people are met is through the Englewood food pantry.

On the heels of the success at Englewood, school officials have now identified a similar critical need at the Sandalwood Family Resource Center. For many students seeking services at the center, the food eaten at school is the only food they have each day. Heading into summer,  replenishing Sandalwood’s food pantry will help meet this need for students throughout the summer.

Most needed items for the Sandalwood Family Resource Center:

  • Easy-to-open, single serving food items that only require a microwave and water to cook, i.e. Easy Mac, Cup of Noodles, oatmeal, etc. (with paper tab openings) that younger children are able to eat and cook without supervision.
  • Dried legumes (beans, lentils, peas)
  • Crackers
  • Nuts/raisins/dried fruit/dried cranberry
  • Pasta sauce
  • Peanut butter
  • Pasta
  • Flour (white, whole wheat)
  • Seasonings (vanilla, salt, pepper, paprika, cinnamon, pepper, taco seasoning, etc.)
  • Sugar
  • Bouillon cubes or granules (chicken, vegetable, beef)
  • Honey
  • Jell-O or pudding mixes
  • Whole grains (barley, bulgur, cornmeal, couscous, oats, quinoa, rice, wheat berries)
  • Plant-based oil (corn oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil, olive oil)
  • Cereals
  • Grits
  • Chips
  • Cookies
  • Popcorn (not the microwavable kind)
  • Instant potato flakes
  • Packaged meals (macaroni and cheese, Hamburger Helper, Ramen noodles, etc.)
  • Fruit juices, teas, coffee, drink mixes
  • 100 percent fruit juices in single serving boxes
  • Gummies
  • Granola bars (all kinds, soft, hard, breakfast, snack)
  • Snacks for kids

Avoid donating items packaged in glass, as these can break and be dangerous.

 

If you are interested in setting up a food drive for any of the eight Full Service School sites, contact United Way Director of Full Service Schools Keto Porter. You can also visit unitedwaynefl.org/full-service-schools for more information on this initiative.