Mercer Street Friends

Mercer Street Friends was honored to receive a generous donation of a full truckload of ready-to-distribute food items from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints earlier this month!

At more than 31,500 pounds of food, this was one of the largest single-day donations this year – providing the equivalent of more than 26,000 meals for our neighbors across Mercer County. This extraordinary gift will help provide healthy food to families through our Community Food Bag program, network of food pantries, and other programs serving our community.

But service did not stop with the delivery. Church leaders, volunteers, and youth missionaries spent the day alongside our team, learning about our mission while helping pack food bags for local families.

This donation is part of the America250 initiative, commemorating our nation's 250th anniversary through the delivery of 250 truckloads of food to communities across the United States.

We are deeply grateful to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for your extraordinary generosity, partnership, and commitment to serving the community, and to Ewing Mayor Bert Steinmann and West Windsor Mayor Hemant Marathe for your support and continued commitment to our neighbors.

Mercer Street Friends CEO Randall West recently shared an opinion piece highlighting the importance of continued learning during the summer months and the impact of the “Summer Slide” – the learning loss many students experience when they are away from the classroom during summer break.

Through our Summer Bridge program, a free summer enrichment opportunity available to Community School students, Mercer Street Friends helps students stay engaged, curious, and connected all summer long. The program combines academic instruction with hands-on enrichment experiences like art, music, gardening, fashion design, sports, and weekly field trips.

By creating opportunities for students to learn and grow beyond the classroom, Summer Bridge helps build confidence and prepares students for success when they return to school in the fall. 😎📚

Read Randall’s full op-ed in BINJE: https://bit.ly/3RaP5ar

Our Summer Bridge Program officially kicked off this week, and our Community School students are in for a summer filled with learning, enrichment, adventure, and absolutely no “summer slide!” 😎📚

Designed to bridge the gap between the end of one school year and the start of the next, Summer Bridge helps students stay on track with grade-specific lessons in reading, math, and social-emotional learning (SEL). Students also receive breakfast, lunch, and a snack each day to keep them fueled for success.

But learning is just part of the fun! Afternoons are packed with enrichment activities like music, art, comic book design, sports, and more. And throughout the summer, students enjoy exciting field trips to destinations like the zoo, Diggerland, and Trenton Thunder Baseball games!

Best of all, this program is offered at no cost to families or school districts thanks to the generosity of supporters like you.💙💪 Help us keep Summer Bridge strong and ensure local students have access to a summer of learning, growth, and opportunity. Donate today: https://bit.ly/4aRIcRQ

We’re still feeling the excitement from our Sixth Annual Leadership Awards Celebration!

Thank you to everyone who joined us last month to celebrate service, leadership, and the power of community. The energy in our warehouse was incredible, and we're so grateful to have shared the evening with so many supporters, partners, and friends. 💙✨

Want to relive the celebration – or catch what you missed? Watch the full ceremony on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/lhQloRYACaY?si=dSouJBqyosioAJGT