NORWOOD, N.J.—On a recent Sunday afternoon, over 100 volunteers gathered at the Presbyterian Church in Norwood in support of the Center for Food Action’s snack packs program.
The event, sponsored by the Daniel Beer Foundation and organized by Annie Hausmann, assembled “1,000 Snack Packs” for distribution to children in households with food insecurity.
“The children who get these snack packs get lunch and breakfast at school, but on the weekend their families don’t have enough food to go around for everybody. This program creates a little more nutrition for those who are food challenged,” said Irwin Vogelman, director of operations for the Center for Food Action.
Sept. 11 has been designated a National Day of Remembrance and Service. To increase its reach and give more people an opportunity to serve, the Center for Food Action events throughout northern New Jersey the entire week. Norwood’s service activity was one of the first of the series.
The Daniel Beer Foundation sponsored the event. Daniel Ae Roo Beer, a rising Norwood sixth-grader, passed away in 2017 just six days after his 11th birthday. In Daniel’s memory, his family started The Daniel Beer Foundation, a non-profit whose mission is to award monies to organizations that benefit children and enhance their lives.
Daniel’s dad, Sam Beer, has volunteered at the Center for Food Action for over a decade. “This was a natural match for us,” said Sam Beer of sponsoring the snack packs program. “Kids need to eat, they need snacks, and we are proud to sponsor here today.”
“It’s important for everyone to give back to the community, especially from an early age,” adds event organizer Hausmann. “We are incredibly fortunate here in Norwood, and these snack-packs make a major difference for the children who receive them. It may be the only means of a meal they receive over the weekend.”
For more information about the Daniel Beer Foundation, visit www.danielbeerfoundation.org. Additional service opportunities with the Center for Food Action can be found at www.CFANJ.org.
Photo courtesy Annie Hausmann