Atlantic City Casinos Chipping In To Help Food Banks During Coronavirus Pandemic

Cleve Bryan reports.

FOOD TO THE MISSION DURING THEOUTBREAK, IT ALSO DONATED FOODEARLIER THIS WEEK.WELL DONE.WELL, SAME THING ISHAPPENING IN NEW JERSEY,HOTELS, CASINOS ARE STEPPINGUP.CLEVE BRYAN JOINS US LIVE FROMWASHINGTON TOWNSHIP WITH MORE,HI THERE CLEVE.REPORTER: WELL, LOCAL FOODPANTRIES LIKE THIS CHURCH HEREIN WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP ISCALLED ON TO STEP UP TORECEIVE MORE AND ALSO TO GETMORE DURING THE TIME WITH THECORONAVIRUS.THE BURDEN OF FOOD INSECURITYONLY GETTING WORSE AS PEOPLELOST WAGES OR LAID OFF BECAUSEOF THE CORONAVIRUS AREINCREASINGLY TURNING TO FOODPANTRIES FOR HELP THIS WAS THELINE FRIDAY AFTERNOON OUTSIDECOMMUNITY FOOD BANK OF NEWJERSEY IN EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP.TO ENSURE THAT EVERYBODYPRIOR TO THIS CRISIS GETSTHEIR FOOD WE ARE STILLMEETING THEIR NEEDS AS WELL ASTHE ADDITIONAL NEEDS THAT HAVELISTEN FROM THE STATE.REPORTER: CLIENTS AT LEAST6 FEET APART.INSIDE STAFF AND VOLUNTEERINGWERE PACKING EMERGENCY FOODKITS TO MEET NEEDS OF THOSEWHO CALL IN SAYING THEY HAVELITTLE OFFER NO FOOD FOR THEIRFAMILIES.A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE FEELINGECONOMIC IMPACT OF THIS.SOME PEOPLE HAVE NEEDEDASSISTANCE IN THE PAST ANDSOME PEOPLE THIS IS FIRST TIMETHEY ARE IN NEED.REPORTER: COMMUNITY FOODBANK NOT ONLY HAS OWN LOCALFAMILIES TO FOOD BUT THEY AREDISTRIBUTE HUB TO 300 FOODASSISTANCE AGENCIES IN THEATLANTIC, CAPE MAY, CUMBERLANDCOUNTIES.CASINOS CLOSED AND RESTAURANTSONLY ALLOWED TO SELL TAKE OUTSHORE COMMUNITIES FACE AIMPACT FROM THE CORONAVIRUSBUSINESS RESTRICTIONS.BUT THERE ARE NOTABLE GESTURESOF SUPPORT, OCEAN RESORT SENTUS PICTURES OF THE PALLETS OFFOOD THEY HAVE DONATED THISWEEK AND BORGATA DID THE SAMEINCLUDING THOUSANDS OF POUNDOF PRODUCE.SO INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FORSUPPORT OF THE ALL NINECASINOS.THEY HAVE NOW DONATED ABOUT125,000 POUNDS OF FRESH PREDUES AND DAIRY, AND THATALLOWS US TO REALLY ADDRESSTHIS INCREASE IN NEED.GOOD EXPERTS SAY THE BESTWAY ALL OF US CAN HELP IS TODONATE MONEY TO THE LARGERFOOD BANKS SUCH AS FOOD BANKOF NEW JERSEY, THE COMMUNITYFOOD BANK, OF SOUTH JERSEY ASWELL AS PHILABUNDANCE.ANY OF THOSE LARGER BANKS THENSUPPLY THE SMALLER ONES.THEY ARE CALLING ON THEM TOINCREASE THEIR HOURS.