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Scouting for a good cause
PURE intentions Youth nonprofit continues programs despite pamndemic By EMMy LieDerMan
Scouts from Lawrence Township Scout Pack 28 and Troop 27 collected about 2,500 pounds of food and several hundred pounds of assorted hygiene products to support the Lawrence Community Center with the “Scouting for Food” drive. Pictured are Cody, Kaylee and Kristi Reading (committee chair Pack 28), and Shane and Kevin Bullard (assistant scoutmaster Troop 27). They delivered food to the Lawrence Community Center’s pantry on March 1. For more Around Town news, go to Page 2.
Fighting food insecurity Fedora Cafe joins forces with Share My Meals By Bill Sanservino anD Dan Aubrey
Share My Meals, a Princeton-based nonprofit started last year to fight food insecurity, has expanded into Lawrence Township. Last month, the organization added Fedora Cafe as the fi fth restaurant in its network of food suppliers. “Every day we see more
people needing food. We can’t sit there and do nothing,” said Ishara Wijesuriya, owner of Fedora Cafe, which is located on Main Street in Lawrenceville. “We have decided to work with Share My Meals to help them extend their operations to our community.” Fedora Cafe will prepare 450 meals per week to be delivered on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to an estimated 20 families.. “We could not be more thankful for the partnership with Fedora Cafe,” said Isa-
belle Lambotte, Share My Meals president. She said SMM has provided more than 50,000 meals to people suffering from food insecurity since the organization was founded in January 2020. “The need in Lawrenceville is mirroring what we see in Princeton,” she said. “Hunger existed in the community before COVID and has been exacerbated during the pandemic.” According to Lambotte, members of the Lawrence See SHARE, Page 6
Raunaq Saharan is a junior at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, a blue ribbon school that is known for its competitive resources. Saharan never really thought twice about her access to a high-quality education, but after visiting her cousins in a small, rural village in India, her perspective completely changed. “Their school has one room for 40 students and one teacher,” said Saharan. “They don’t have a negative outlook on it because it’s all they know, but when I think about how my school is one of the most recognized in the country, I consider what I can do to help not only my cousins, but other kids just like them.” Despite the circumstances, what strikes Saharan most about the lifestyle of her relatives is the sense of community across the village. “They don’t have conventional bathrooms or running water, but these circumstances have created a tightknit community,” she said. “Despite having such a small amount of resources, they are such happy people.” After feeling inspired by the perseverance of her family members, Saharan decided to get involved with the Lawrence-based youth chapter of a nonprofit organization called People for Urban and Rural Education Youth. It’s mission is to help bridge the gap between students and academic resources.
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At large, the organization is dedicated to addressing education inequality from the root by acknowledging the barriers—like period poverty and a lack of electricity—that keep students home from school. Across every initiative, PURE volunteers are united under the common belief that every child has the right to a quality education. “Pure youth participates in all these overarching programs that are pretty fluid,” said Siddanth Pabba, a codirector of the Lawrenceville branch. “Our goal is to do anything that will help connect kids with education and give them a brighter future.” Saharan is the public relations ambassador Lawrenceville PURE Youth, which has 28 members ranging from elementary to high school students. The group, which is one of the four youth chapters in New Jersey, leads both local and international initiatives. The Lawrenceville chapter, which is the biggest in New Jersey, has worked at local temples, hosted dinnerto-door events during Diwali, and conducted clothing and school supplies drives for nearby shelters. The chapter has also partnered with Homefront and Anchor House during past holiday seasons, and manned a booth at the 2019 Elsie’s World Fair, where members were given the opportunity to talk to several children, parents and community leaders about the organization’s cause. They aren’t only devoted to education issues, though. Last fall, they raised money to supSee PURE, Page 4
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