Stuffed Animals To Be Used To Help Children In Schwenksville

America Responds With Love, a national nonprofit organization, donated 50 stuffed animals and comfort pillows to the Jerusalem Community Food Pantry of Schwenksville.

This donation was made possible through the support of Kona Ice of Schwenksville, a company that sells shaved ice through mobile trucks in areas of Montgomery County.

These stuffed animals and comfort pillows were provided to America Responds With Love by the Town of Newtown in Connecticut.  Following the shooting of school children and school personnel in December of 2012, people throughout the United States sent thousands of stuffed animals and comfort pillows to the Town of Newtown.  The community utilized a portion of the donated products to help people truly in need in Newtown as well as throughout the State of Connecticut.

Many of the items that were not needed within the State of Connecticut were donated to America Responds With Love by the Town of Newtown.

“Jerusalem Community Food Pantry will provide the donated stuffed animals and comfort pillows to children whose parents use our services,” explained Mrs. Loretta Stever, who helped found Jerusalem Community Food Pantry with her husband, Joel.  “We meet the food and supplemental needs of approximately 250 families a month.”

"We feel spiritually inspired to help our neighbors in need and, in today's economy, it is the right thing to do,” explained Mrs. Stever.  “How remarkable that the Town of Newtown is sharing the generosity they received after such a       life-changing, sad experience.”

The Jerusalem Community Food Pantry is open every Thursday from 6 PM to 8 PM and every Saturday from 9 AM to 11 AM.  It is located at the Jerusalem Evangelical Lutheran Church at 311 Second Street in Schwenksville.

“We are a purely volunteer group, but we do receive food through governmental sources for our food pantry and we supplement that support with other donated food we receive from local donors,” continued Mrs. Stever.  “The Jerusalem Community Food Pantry is supported by 15 local churches of different denominations, scout groups and civic groups who contribute in several ways.  Some support us financially, some with donated products, and some with volunteers.  Each group supports us according to their ability.”

“Kona Ice of Schwenksville is supporting the efforts of America Responds With Love to provide area children with something that is ‘out of the ordinary’ “, explained Mr. Pat Hoffman, Owner of Kona Ice of Schwenksville.  “Jerusalem Lutheran Church is one of my clients at Kona Ice on the daycare level;  we serve the kids several times a year. The church and the food pantry are also beneficiaries of the local Rotary Club to which I belong and where I am the immediate past president. Supporting this effort was an easy decision for us at Kona Ice of Schwenksville as it ties in everything we pride ourselves on.”

Kona Ice focuses its business on several sectors, including sales to day care centers and area businesses as well as private parties.  The firm also does fundraising sales with a focus on providing up to 25% of sales to a participating non-profit organization.

Community activities are important to Kona Ice.

“Last year Kona Ice of Schwenksville "gave back" more than $10,000 to local community organizations,” continued Mr. Hoffman.  “Our goal this year is to give back $12,000.  We are currently at 75% of that goal with more than $9,000 in donations.  We do several cancer-related "Walk For Life" events.  (My first wife past away from breast cancer so that is close to my heart.)  We work with numerous sport associations, schools, and churches.”

America Responds With Love is donating the stuffed animals and comfort pillows to a number of hospitals, police departments, social service organizations, and others that help serve people truly in need.  The Jerusalem Community Food Pantry is one example of the recipients of these donated products.

“We are pleased to be able to help the Jerusalem Community Food Pantry find ways to utilize the stuffed animals and comfort pillows donated in the wake of the tragedy in Newtown,” explained Mr. Richard McDonough, President and Chief Executive Officer of America Responds With Love.  “We believe Americans who generously donated the stuffed animals and comfort pillows will find that using these products to help people truly in need in Montgomery County will be a fitting way to remember the lives lost in Newtown.”

“The leadership of the Jerusalem Community Food Pantry will help people truly in need in the Schwenksville Area and in other nearby communities.”

For more information please visit:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kona-Ice-of-Schwenksville/197972276909477

http://www.respondwithlove.org