Over the month of October, we donated $1,770.00 of our lunch money to the Bag a Lunch, Help a Bunch campaign, sponsored by Table to Table. Meridian has been a perennial contributor to the community-based food rescue program that collects prepared and perishable food and delivers it to organizations serving the hungry in Northern New Jersey. The campaign, which was started 20 years ago, has delivered over 122 million meals!
During the Bag a Lunch campaign, we ask Meridian employees to donate what they would normally spend on lunch for a day. Donating to the campaign is voluntary and the donation amounts are of each individual’s choosing. After the donations are tallied at the end of the program, the company matches everyone’s contribution, effectively doubling the donation.
Last year’s campaign raised $1,614.00 through Meridian employee donations and the matching contribution from the company. That amount was enough to feed over 15,000 families.
Kelly Manzo, HR Coordinator, is again the Meridian Team Captain, responsible for promoting the program at the company and coordinating with her counterparts at Table to Table. Ms. Manzo says, “The Bag a Lunch program is a great way for employees to help others in our local communities who are less fortunate. By donating what we would normally spend on lunch, each person’s individual contribution will double with the gift matching program, and ultimately have a much greater impact on those who need it most.” To help raise awareness of the campaign, brown lunch bags are placed in several locations throughout the FBO, including the Break Room, Line Service, Jet Center, and Charter areas.
Every day, Table to Table picks up fresh, wholesome food that otherwise would have been discarded, and delivers it safely to non-profit organizations such as soup kitchens, homeless shelters and centers, programs for women and children who are victims of domestic violence, and programs that assist the working poor that serve meals to the hungry in Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, and Essex counties.
With five refrigerated vehicles and dedicated drivers, Table to Table picks up food from a wide range of food establishments each day. This food is delivered on the day it is donated, avoiding the need for warehouse facilities and keeping Table To Table’s costs limited to the operation of the vehicles.
In 2018 alone, Table To Table was able to redistribute enough food to provide 18 million meals to hungry families in Northern New Jersey.
For more information or to make additional donations, please visit: www.tabletotable.org
