The Michaels Organization and the law firm of Conner, Strong and Buckalew have been collecting foodstuffs for the nonprofit for the last few years. This summer, NFI Industries moved into an office building next to them on Cooper Street and joined in the holiday effort.
Between the three of them, they filled up a good portion of a tractor trailer with pallets of food.
“We’ve been lifting lives in Camden for 20 years,” Michaels Organization CEO John O’Donnell said. “So this is just natural. Then when you move in with our two really good partners and good friends, it creates a little more competition.
“This is by far the best year we’ve all had.”
And for volunteers like Angel Ramos of Lindenwold, who has worked for NFI for seven years, it was a labor of love.
“I love to help people a lot,” he said. “That’s the one major thing that I like. And when we do it as a group, we help each other.”
Philabundance will distribute the canned goods throughout the region, much of it going to the Food Bank of South Jersey. Many needy families in Camden will directly benefit from the companies’ monthlong efforts.