Roselle Lions collect much needed food for local pantries

It was cold and rainy but the weather did not stop the Roselle Lions Club from collecting more than 6,000 food items and many paper products and toiletries for the local food pantry.

Held on Dec. 12, the food drive was held to replace the annual "Lunch With Santa," sponsored by the Lions.

The Roselle Lions have sponsored a "Lunch With Santa" for more than 40 years.

The event had a twofold purpose. It gave parents a place to take their kids for a free lunch, a visit with Santa and a goody bag of candy, ornaments and other gifts.

Each child also received a free photo with Santa.

The event allowed the Roselle Lions to collect much needed food for local food pantries at Christmastime.

There was no admission charge for the party but kids were asked to donate food to be distributed in Roselle before Christmas.

The "Lunch with Santa" was always a success with up to 400 kids visiting Santa. But, with the restrictions due to the novel coronavirus, the lunch had to be canceled.

According to Lions President Lucy Danner, "With the extreme need in our community this year we hoped to collect even more items for the persons using the food pantry. The response from the community and from a group of Jeep enthusiasts, 'Jeeps on the Run,' overwhelmed us with much needed items for the less fortunate in our community."

To learn more about the club, visit www.facebook.com/RoselleLionsClub/.

The Roselle Lions Club, which was founded in 1934, welcomes men and women who strive to make a difference in the community as well as communities worldwide. The volunteer efforts go beyond the support of vision care, to addressing unmet health and education needs worldwide.