Big SNOW A Big Participant In 'Giving Tuesday'

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — Big SNOW at American Dream hopes to be a big participant in giving Tuesday this week.

The indoor ski and snowboard center will be hosting a food drive benefiting the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, according to a news release.

All guests who bring a nonperishable canned item to Big SNOW on Tuesday will receive a 50 percent off coupon for their next visit to Big SNOW, the business announced.

All non-expired canned goods will be accepted and can be presented upon check-in, in exchange for the 50 percent off coupon, which can be redeemed on a future visit to Big SNOW through Dec. 1, 2021, the company said.

This comes as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact people and families across the state.

According to the Department of Labor, approximately 1.8 million New Jersey residents have filed for unemployment since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Though the number of claims has been going down in recent weeks, the impact on the region is still felt.

In October, the unemployment rate reported by the Department of Labor was 8.2 percent.

According to a study by the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, New Jersey is expected to experience greater hardship than neighboring states and the nation as a whole when it comes to hunger.

The number of New Jerseyans struggling with hunger is projected to rise by 56% as a direct result of COVID-19, 10 percentage points higher than the national average and the anticipated increases in New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

"In less than a year, COVID-19 is erasing nearly a decade of advancement towards food security in New Jersey and nationwide," said Carlos Rodriguez, President & CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, in a story published by Patch. "It's clear from the data presented in this report that no part of our state will be spared from the pandemic's effects on hunger."

On a Zoom call with Congressman Josh Gottheimer before Thanksgiving, Center For Food Action Communications Director Kelly Sirimoglu said the organization has seen a 50 percent increase in food assistance requests since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Bergen County Commissioner Tracy Zur, who is also the Liaison to the Bergen County Food Security Task Force, reported that, across Bergen County, there has been a 71 percent increase in food insecurity.

Zur said that means about 25,000 families in the county are food insecure, which means about "one in six kids" are dealing with food insecurity.

"Not only is the COVID-19 crisis continuing to ravage our community, it's continuing to exacerbate food insecurity levels across North Jersey as we head into the Thanksgiving holiday this week," said Gottheimer on the call.

Big SNOW will be taking donations at The Shop and The Slope at Big SNOW, located at 1 American Dream Way in East Rutherford.

Donations will be accepted from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at The Shop, and 1 to 9 p.m. at The Slope, according to the company.

This story is part of Patch's Headlining Hope series, which profiles local nonprofits and charitable organizations in need of volunteers and resources. If you know of a local organization that should be profiled, contact montana.samuels@patch.com.

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