Food security exists when all individuals have authorized access to safe and nourishing food that fulfills their nutritional needs at all times. But what happens when the use of food security is inaccessible?
In recent studies, Feeding America shared that nearly 1.1 million people in New Jersey are food insecure — a staggering 65% increase since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Among them are more than 270,000 children, as child food insecurity has soared by 54%.
Many organizations, such as Hands of Hope (HOHNJ), often receive long lines of people who wait to receive assistance for hours on end, uncertain whether they will leave with a ration of food. For this reason, HOHNJ consistently relies on donations, which give families and students of EHS a way to give back to the community.
To give back to the Edison community, the EHS Rotary Club partnered with HOHNJ to host the second-annual Food Drive, which lasted from April 23 to April 30. Rotary awarded students who donated with one volunteer hour for every two items.
Initially, only a few students signed up to donate. To address this, Secretary Shriaditi Kancherla ‘26, took initiative and sent mass emails to all grade levels and frequently made morning announcements to promote the Drive.
Treasurer Khushi Bhavsar ‘27, also played a crucial role as she created various posts on social media to boost donations for the drive. These outreach efforts significantly increased the amount of donations received.
“I donated sixty items, as I thought it would be better to give away food items to people who can’t get reliable access than to waste it,” said Srinithya Paidi ‘28. Paidi’s contributions highlight the importance of food security and its impact on vulnerable populations who struggle to access nutritious meals daily.
As a result of these combined efforts, Rotary successfully collected over four hundred non-perishable and unopened food items.
“It was a team effort of outreaching to help give back to the community,” said Kancherla.
Unfortunately, food security can’t be reached overnight, since it’s a complex process that requires long-term commitment and strategies. Yet, efforts by EHS Rotary to host their annual Food Drive have made a significant difference in providing food to those in need, not just at EHS, but in Edison altogether.
“Overall, we were able to provide essential meals to Edison families and uphold our mission to promote goodwill in our community,” said Rotary President Nitya Konduru ‘25.
