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Old Bridge Village donates $3,460 to food bank

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From left, Charlie Pratt, Harry Chapin Food Bank president and CEO Al Brislain (holding donation envelopes), Dick Gray, Yacht Club Commodore Al Trebbien and Sandy Heiseafter donating $3,460 to the food bank. PHOTO PROVIDED

That Old Village Yacht Club has raised money for the Harry Chapin Food Bank is nothing unusual. It has raised money for numerous charities since 2001.

This year, the community realized they needed to expand its giving to something more universal and year-round, as opposed to just during the holidays.

As a result of this year’s hard work and the generosity of many in the community, it raised $3,460 for the food bank to help fulfill the food needs of these in Lee County.

Denise Kedian said with the way these people give of their time and money, she isn’t that surprised.

“We have a pretty good track record. We have a great generous community that, if they can’t write a fat check, spends lots of hours helping,” Kedian said. “It’s a story of one group helping, and then another and another.”

Since2001, the yacht club has raised tens of thousands of dollars for Toys For Tots to brighten the holidays for area children. Over the years, Old Bridge residents have donated clothing to make sure that these children would be warm on chilly winter days.

But when they decided that hunger is an everyday crisis and wanted to help feed those in need, they decided to help the Harry Chapin Food Bank.

It started when Old Bridgers Dave and Luanne Dubuc, Hank and Sandy Heise, and Charlie and Jean Pratt contacted the softball team and asked if they could make a donation to the food bank through its annual spaghetti dinner.

It raised $750 for the food bank.

Yacht Club Commodore Al Trebbien, Old Bridge Village Entertainment Group Chair Dick Gray, and Old Bridge Village Social Alliance Chair, Sandy Heise, matched that donation. And with donations from the board of directors and friends, the Old Bridge donation grew to $3,460.

The group contacted Harry Chapin Food Bank president and CEO, Al Brislain, who was stunned to get that amount of money.

“We always welcome donations, but we didn’t expect this much,” Brislain said. “Five parts of the community came together. What a great group of people. It was great to meet them.”

The money donated will go a long way toward feeding the hungry. For every dollar the food bank receives, they get $6 worth of food from throughout the food industry, locally and nationally, Brislain said.

This will produce more than 10,000 meals, and with 30,000 people that utilize the food bank’s services, that made a pretty big dent, Brislain said.

“There were people who saw the program and the need for it and how it really can make a difference,” Brislain said. “This is a generous community and they’re willing to step up.”

In 2013, Harry Chapin Food Bank distributed 17.5 million pounds of food, valued at $29.6 million. More than 2,750 people volunteered, collectively providing 42,830 hours of service, valued at $948,000, Brislain said.

Kedian was impressed by her community’s response, as well as the name sake of the program, the famed singer.

“It’s very gratifying to live in a community like this. They’re just amazing,” Kedian said. “I was a big fan of Harry Chapin and I knew he donated half his income to fight hunger. He walked the walk, and this is his legacy.”