A Message from the Executive Director
January 2006

Isaiah G. Cooper

Happy New Year!

As we all celebrated in bringing in the New Year with our families and friends, most of us made resolutions. Well, we did too and our resolution for 2006 is to work even harder than we did in 2005 to obtain a new facility. Keeping a resolution is not always easy but we are determined and will not give up our quest. The outpour of generosity we received in 2005 toward our new building campaign proved to us that there are a number of people that are willing to support/help us accomplish our goal. We hope that this generosity extends into 2006 as more people recognize what we do and what we hope to accomplish to better assist the families and seniors in the communities we serve. Please remember that our new building campaign is ongoing and that no donation is too small. At this time I would like to take the time to say “Thank You” to our Associate Director, Marge Conway for doing such a great job in coordinating the Christmas gifts for the children and to all the KMFP Volunteers that worked so hard along with Marge in distributing the gifts and holiday dinners.

Our latest status:

1. The Thursday before Christmas we distributed gifts to over one hundred and fifty (150) children. This would not have been possible if it were not for the overwhelming response we received from individuals, churches, organizations, etc. who volunteered to be a sponsor so that these children would indeed have a Merry Christmas. Thank you to all the sponsors for opening up your hearts and helping us make this season a little brighter for these families.
2. We distributed 40 holiday food bags provided by the Monmouth/Ocean Food Bank to our clients so that they too could enjoy a nice holiday dinner despite their circumstances.
3. You might have read in the local papers that there were several food drives conducted within the nearby communities by schools, fire departments, first aid squads, boy scouts, several organizations and churches. The food was distributed to pantries, churches, etc. We were fortunate to have been one of the recipients. The abundance of food we received allowed us to provide a little more for our clients. We also received additional food from our ongoing donors. Thank you!
4. Due to lack of space we cannot always accept clothing but we did receive some jackets, coats, baby blankets/afghans, hats and scarves. Our clients were ecstatic since a number of them cannot afford to buy clothing and other items to keep them and their families warm during the winter months. Our deepest appreciation to those who donated these items.
5. We continue to work diligently with the Township of Keyport for the land we require for our permanent location.
6. Disappointments are not easy to accept and we got one at the end of 2005. We were not able to obtain a grant which would have benefited us tremendously in our new building initiative but we are NOT giving up. We will pursue it again this year, in addition to other grants and as the saying goes “We move on”. There are other grants that we submitted in 2005 that are still pending so we are still hopeful.
7. Lastly, we have added two (2) new email addresses (Contact Us) in the event you want to contact me and/or the KFMP Registrar. We would like to hear from you so please feel free to contact us.

The KMFP Staff and Volunteers would like you to know that we are truly grateful for your friendship, support and belief in what we do. Because you believe in us we are greatly motivated and are striving even harder to help those that are less fortunate. We continue to update our website regularly with our latest news and information, so please check it regularly. .

Isaiah G. Cooper
Executive Director
Keyport Ministerium Food Pantry, Inc.