Football Players Collecting Food for Irene Victims

junior Joe Presti wants to do more than play at this year's football games. He wants to collect items for those in need.

Obviously, the player cannot collect the items while he's on the field, but with the help of his mother, Cathy Presti, Joe has organized a donation station that will be set up at the entrance of all home Kinnelon football games to benefit residents in the towns of Kinnelon, Pequannock, Pompton Lakes, Denville and Lincoln Park who were affected by the tropical storm after

Presti said he thought of the idea to collect non-perishable food, cleaning products and personal hygiene products to benefit the local pantries after attending another school's football game last year. He decided to bring the program to Kinnnelon after learning about pantries being depleted by people in need after Hurricane Irene.

"We need the help of the community," Presti said.

After the donations are collected, Presti will give the items to the pantries and then have them reach out to the families in need. He has also reached out to the Kinnelon food pantry to let them know they will be receiving some of the donations.

Gail Flammer, who runs the Kinnelon pantry, said Presti, and others, have helped the pantry tremendously after high demands resulting from the storm emptied it out.

"Our pantry got really depleted because we opened it to anybody who needed it in the community," she said. Pantry volunteer Andrew Bartollo, 14, sent an email out to local Cub Scout troops asking for donations and from there, the email continued.

Last week, Flammer said the pantry was once again full. But as residents continue to use the pantry, it will once again need to be replenished.

"It needs to be a steady flow," she said.

Flammer said the pantry is most in need of cleaning products, such as Windex, laundry detergent and dishwasher soap, and personal hygiene products, such as shampoo and Band-Aids. She also said the pantry is always in need of paper products, such as toilet paper and paper towels.

Residents and game attendees wishing to donate should visit the donation table at home games on Friday, Sept. 23, Sept. 30, Oct. 8 and Nov. 4.