Stories

Robbinsville Hamilton Rotary partners with Health Camp of New Jersey

Health Camp of New Jersey (HCNJ), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, hosted its annual Health Fair on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at the Robert Wood Johnson Fitness & Wellness Center in Hamilton, NJ. The event provided comprehensive medical, dental, mental health, and vision screenings, along with disease prevention education and counseling for hundreds of uninsured and underinsured participants. The event was held in collaboration with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital – Hamilton and supported by numerous healthcare providers and volunteer organizations.

Since 1999, HCNJ has organized vital health fairs in various parts of New Jersey to benefit under-served members of the community.

Over the past 25+ years, HCNJ has screened more than 13,500 individuals and identified over 4,200 cases of chronic disease abnormalities. The organization marked its 25th Anniversary Gala in November 2023, announcing an ambitious goal to launch a Community Health Center by 2026 to provide ongoing care and follow-up services for underserved populations. This effort is led by HCNJ President, Plainsboro Rotarian Dr. Tushar Patel.

Dr. Tushar Patel is in the process of creating a Comprehensive Healthcare Rotary e-Club, working with medical professionals, vibrant community leaders, and anyone committed to the mission of early detection and prevention of disease.

Interested in building a healthy community? Please send an introduction email to Dr. Tushar Patel or DGND Kalpana Patel

Inside Madison’s grassroots fight against hunger

By ELISABETTA ARAYA Madison Ends Hunger May 29, 2025

Food insecurity is an issue that often goes unseen, especially in communities that seem affluent on the surface. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, many in the Madison area found themselves struggling to put food on the table. That’s when Madison Ends Hunger (MEH) was born — a grassroots initiative designed not just to address immediate needs, but to create a sustainable, community-driven model of support.

In response to the food insecurity exacerbated by the pandemic, MEH was launched in July 2020 by the Madison High School Interact Club, where I served as president. We decided to direct all donations to the First Baptist Church of Madison’s food pantry on Cook Avenue, a long-standing pillar of support for many in our area.

Our model is simple: local families sign up as regular donors. Every other Saturday, volunteers collect non-perishables from their doorsteps and deliver them to the food pantry. In over 4.5 years, we’ve never missed a pickup —thanks to our dedicated volunteers and the generosity of Madison. Today, MEH is the primary food source for the First Baptist Church pantry, which serves thousands year-round.

As of this spring, we have surpassed 6,000 boxes of donated food, worth over $360,000. Reaching this goal has sparked in us deep gratitude and reflection, as we celebrate a major milestone in the program. This is more than a number  — it’s proof of what is possible when neighbors care for one another.

Personally, this milestone has given me a chance to reflect on what this journey has meant. My Christian faith has always grounded me in the belief that my time, resources, and blessings must be used to lift others up. Living in a community with such abundance makes it all the more important to shine a light on the challenges many still face — and to create a clear, accessible way for people to get involved in helping their neighbors.

In its early years, MEH received a National Karma for Cara grant, and I was honored with the 2021 Heroes Award from U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11. In 2022, we were one of eight global finalists, out of 10,700 candidates, for the international Interact Awards, and the only finalist from the U.S. While these honors are meaningful, the real reward is witnessing the lasting impact we’ve made in Madison.

Some of our early volunteers — and my former classmates from MHS — were kind enough to share their reflections:

• Meredith Weiner, College of William and Mary: “I was inspired by our direct impact and the community’s eagerness to participate. The food pickups quickly became my favorite way to spend a Saturday morning.”

• Rachel Wasserman, George Washington University: “Madison Ends Hunger showed me how powerful youth-led initiatives can be in creating something that lasts.”

• Owen Weller, Bowdoin College: “My eyes were opened to just how common food insecurity is, even though it is often invisible. It was a great experience to be able to positively impact people's lives.”

• Nina Kornchankul, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill: “It has been so encouraging to make such an impact and see community members support one another in the fight against food insecurity.”

To everyone who has donated, volunteered, or spread the word — thank you. We wouldn’t be here without you or the First Baptist Church of Madison, whose tireless work underpins everything we do. I also want to personally thank the Rotary Club of Madison for its instrumental support since the beginning of the program.

Thank you for listening to the story of Madison Ends Hunger. We look forward to many more years of serving our community together.

Want to become a biweekly MEH donor? Email us at madisonendshunger@gmail.com.

To support the pantry directly, visit fbcofmadison.org/Food-Pantry.

The writer is co-founder of Madison Ends Hunger and a student at the University of Pennsylvania, where she studies philosophy, politics and economics. She can be reached at arayaelisabetta@gmail.com.