Bruce Springsteen has long been an advocate on behalf of soup kitchens and food banks, allowing them to make please to his audiences and dropping a bundle of cash on them himself. This ad just follows along in that vein — plus it has one of the better slogans I’ve seen, playing off the federal government’s willingness to aid the financial institutions but not the people really hurting.
The ad aims to help the Community Food Bank of N.J., one of the most important nonprofit groups in the state.
According to a press release from the food bank,the situation is pretty dire, as it is for so many other food banks, pantries and soup kitchens (see our stories this week on the South Brunswick Food Pantry and the pantries in Cranbury, Jamesburg and Monroe).
With bare shelves and demand for food among state residents far outpacing supply, the FoodBank is in danger of being unable to meet the needs of New Jersey’s hungry.
The group says it faces “a dire shortage of food, so much so that — without the public’s support — it may, for the first time in its history, begin to ration food.
This is a state-wide crisis, with the unstable economy resulting in a 30 percent increase in those needing food. In years past, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey has provided assistance to more than 500,000 New Jerseyans, but expects to see a major uptick in need this year, especially during the winter months when people often struggle between paying heating and food bills.
The ad, which will hit the dailies on Sunday, is a “call to action for people to contribute in any way they can.”
A supporter of the FoodBank for 23 years, this ad marks the first time Springsteen has publicly lent his image to the campaign, due to the urgency of the situation. The Grammy award winning musician often donates proceeds from his concerts to the organization.
To help, check out www.njfoodbank.org or call 908-355-FOOD (3663).
Hank Kalet 