Jersey City, N.J. – September 11, 2017 – Saint Peter’s University will host a celebration for the reopening of the University’s Food Pantry and Clothes Closet on Tuesday, September 12 at noon in the convent at St. Aedan’s: The Saint Peter’s University Church. In 2014, the Office of Campus Ministry closed the original food pantry and clothes closet to begin extensive renovations on a new and improved space for these facilities. The new site is located adjacent to The Campus Kitchen at Saint Peter’s University and will serve as a hub for community service projects for Saint Peter’s students and as a meaningful resource for the external community.
The new Food Pantry and Clothes Closet will be open to students as well as members of the external community and will offer dry goods and clothing to those in need. It will be open the first and third Saturdays of each month from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. as well as the second Wednesday of each month from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
The opening of the Saint Peter’s U. Food Pantry and Clothes Closet to the public makes Saint Peter’s the only institution in the country to have these facilities along with a Campus Kitchen. A Campus Kitchen is a student-led community service project that provides free, healthy meals by using donated food that would otherwise go to waste. The Campus Kitchen at Saint Peter’s University has already served more than 36,000 nutritious meals for Hudson County residents in need and recovered nearly 40,000 pounds of food. Volunteers have recently been able to increase productivity thanks to the generous donation of a state-of-the-art refrigerated van from Fausto Rotundo, CPA ’91, member of the Saint Peter’s University Board of Trustees.
“An emphasis on service is what is unique about a Saint Peter’s education,” said Erich Sekel, associate director of campus ministry at Saint Peter’s University. “As a Jesuit university, we stress the importance of living as men and women for others. We want our students to see and understand injustice and empower them to improve the world around them. I take great pride in the progress we have made with The Campus Kitchen and I look forward to making an even greater impact in the community with the addition of these new resources.”
The reopening celebration will be held in the convent, which is located at 39 Tuers Avenue, Jersey City, N.J. The celebration will include a blessing at 12:15 p.m. followed by tours of the space until 4:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
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Saint Peter’s University, inspired by its Jesuit, Catholic identity, commitment to individual attention and grounding in the liberal arts, educates a diverse community of learners in undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional programs to excel intellectually, lead ethically, serve compassionately and promote justice in our ever-changing urban and global environment. To learn more, please visit www.saintpeters.edu.
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