After two months of collecting food and gift cards our COS New Jersey Team brought all the provisions to the Great Falls Rotary Foundation Military Assistance Pantry (GRRF-MAP) in the urban city of Paterson NJ on April 13, 2024. As a fully collaborative effort the items were collected in the entire state then brought by our members from ALL regions; Waretown/south, Phillipsburg/west, Rockaway/north, Stirling/central and Cresskill/east. Sincere thanks are offered to our COS NJ Volunteer team that assisted with this food drive.
GFRF-MAP serves 115 Veteran Families with 83 children that live in 5 NJ counties. The director of the Pantry, Debbie Flowers, was so overwhelmed she had tears of joy in her eyes as we filled the entry cubicle. She stated this is the largest donation ever received for the pantry. The GFRF-MAP ministry is focused on helping military families who need both ongoing and emergency support. Ms. Flowers explained the pantry is solely dependent on donations and does not receive any governmental subsidies.
After all the items were delivered, we spent time together in fellowship with Ms. Flowers and Ladies for Liberty members who were also overwhelmed with gratitude for all the provisions brought by our COS NJ volunteers. Then the gift cards to local supermarkets were tallied. These totaled over $2300 so we rejoiced again for this very successful food/fundraiser. Anyone who wants to help the GFRF-MAP distribute the provisions and gift cards, it is accomplished in the morning the third Saturday of every month. Please contact Chris Garzino, COS NJ State Director, chris.garzino@cosaction.com to participate.
Our COS Team plans to take part in similar endeavors. Following is a bit of back history on how this connection to an important ministry came to be. Our COS Volunteers meet many other patriotic like-minded individuals as we educate the public on the need for and importance of an Article V Convention. Fall of 2023 one interaction led to a connection to the Patriots Food Pantry, an outreach of a NJ group Ladies for Liberty. Our first COS Team NJ food collection helped to offer a Thanksgiving blessing to 170 families in another NJ urban city. Please read more here: Tapinto.net/towns/Elizabeth, NJ/ Annual-Thanksgiving-Food-Drive-feeds-170-families
*Great Falls refers to the waterfall that was the first in America to be harnessed for power. Paterson NJ was the foothold of the Industrial Revolution.
There are many NJ locations that capture the spirit during the Revolutionary War that drove the quest for freedom and liberty. Join us by clicking here; Convention of States applies historical principals to today's issues as we draw upon the power of Article V of the original US Constitution.
