LHTCares Initiative
Long Hill residents and neighbors supported their favorite Super Bowl team by donating food and supplies at Long Hill Township Library in Gillette, NJ.
Ahead of the Super Bowl on February 11, the library unveiled a new drop-off site for Twelve Baskets Food Pantry, which provides non-perishable food to individuals and families in Long Hill and the surrounding areas. The service is free and confidential.
Fans indicated whether they were rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs or the San Francisco 49ers by placing canned goods on either side of a divided box near the library entrance.
The drop-off site marks the launch of a new initiative, LHTCares, which will connect local organizations and volunteers through the library.
“Adding the Long Hill Library to the list of Twelve Baskets Food Pantry donation locations was a perfect fit for LHTCares,” said Long Hill’s Adult Services & Community Engagement Librarian Suzanne Kosempel.
“We can help spread the word about the pantry and make it easy to drop off donations while residents stop in the library for a program or to pick up a book.”
As part of LHTCares, the library will collect supplies for various organizations, including Twelve Baskets and NourishNJ. It will also provide information on local programs and services available within Morris County and Long Hill Township.
The LHTCares initiative will emphasize the environment by running programs to teach residents about composting and recycling services as well as wildlife conservation.
The library itself will strive to support sustainability within its own operations and is researching how to set up a Repair Cafe to encourage residents to fix and reuse items rather than sending them to landfills.
Just as the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl on February 11, the team also won the library’s “Soup-er Bowl.” Voters donated 25 food items to support Kansas City and 15 to support San Francisco.
Following the Super Bowl, the library will set up a new poll for donors to vote in: Dinosaurs vs. Unicorns. Patrons are encouraged to bring in canned goods to vote for their favorite and to share their contribution online using the hashtag #LHTCares.
Twelve Baskets food pantry is currently most in need of beans (especially kidney, black, and garbanzo), soups and stews (except chicken noodle), pastas such as Chef Boyardee and SpaghettiOs, canned meats, canned fruit with light syrup, and canned tomatoes.
ABOUT LHTL
Long Hill Township Library is located at 917 Valley Rd. in Gillette, NJ. Residents, taxpayers, and children attending school in Long Hill Township are eligible for a free library card, which grants access to more than 2 million items in the library’s shared collection. In addition to books, audiobooks, and other digital resources, the library offers free wifi, public computers, and meeting and study rooms. LHTL hosts a wide variety of programs and events for all ages: Learn a language, make arts and crafts, get tech help, or come play a round of mini-golf! Visit LongHillLibrary.org to learn more.
