Jersey Shore 'Food Not Bombs' to celebrate one-year anniversary

The Jersey Shore chapter of Food Not Bombs celebrates its one-year anniversary at its weekly share of free vegan food on Sunday, March 1, 2015, 3:00pm-4:00pm in front of the Asbury Park train station, on Main Street at Cookman Avenue, in Asbury Park, NJ. The all-volunteer group is part of an international movement that believes that the current trend of excessive military spending is unjustifiable when a billion people go hungry worldwide, every day. The Jersey Shore chapter rescues groceries, bread, and produce from local stores, restaurants, and farmers who would normally throw away the excess, and has served over 1,000 hot vegan meals and redistributed over a ton of free groceries at their weekly food share every Sunday in Asbury Park and at special events for charities in Ocean & Monmouth counties.

Food is shared with anyone who requests it, regardless of income, no questions asked. The hot meal typically consists of soup, potatoes, rice, roasted vegetables, salad and bread. Donated coats, children's books, and toiletries are also shared. With no office or kitchen of its own, the group gets its hot food from volunteers who cook the donated food in their own homes. The group held its first food share at the Asbury Park train station on March 2, 2014.

Doug Quinn, a volunteer and a financial planner from Toms River, NJ, explains, "There are so many resources that go to waste, while one in five Americans experiences food insecurity. We're redistributing those resources to people who need them."

Volunteers and donations of vegan food, clothing, serve ware, and toiletries are welcome. Jersey Shore Food Not Bombs has a public Facebook page with more information at https://www.facebook.com/JerseyShoreFoodNotBombs