"The Meals on Wheels program helps to ensure that New Jersey’s homebound senior residents receive a hot nutritional meal, and having our Youth Corps members package and deliver the meals offers them an excellent community service learning project," said Commissioner Wirths. "Corps members get an opportunity to connect with the older generation, as well as an opportunity to give back to the community."

Commissioner Wirths worked with 10 Youth Corps members to package and deliver approximately 35 meals to senior residents in the city. The meals were prepared and packaged at the Fourth Avenue, Asbury Park headquarters of The Interfaith Neighbors, Inc., which operates the Meals on Wheels program in that city and all of Monmouth County, in addition to sponsoring the New Jersey Youth Corps program in Monmouth County.

Interfaith Neighbors is a nonprofit organization that seeks to make a difference in the lives of the working poor, the elderly, people who are homebound, disadvantaged youth and neighborhoods in need of revitalization.

Each Tuesday and Thursday, the Interfaith Neighbors and Youth Corps members prepare and package the meals and deliver them to senior buildings and private homes in Asbury Park.

Annually, the program serves approximately 4,000 senior citizens and prepares a total of 400,000 nutritionally well-balanced meals.

New Jersey Youth Corps, which is under the auspices of the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development, is one of the largest youth service and conservation corps in the United States. Youth Corps is a year-round, voluntary program that engages young adults, ages 16 to 25,who left high school before earning a diploma, in full-time community service, training, and educational activities.

In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Youth Corps members were dispatched to remove debris from the streets of many New Jersey communities, and the Youth Corps continues to play an active role in the clean-up.

The Christie Administration's second annual Season of Service will continue throughout the holiday season. Last year, cabinet members participated in approximately 60 events across the state -- from serving meals on wheels to homebound residents and helping to serve and stock food pantries to stuffing care packages for military service members overseas and holiday letter writing to troops abroad.

Governor Christie has emphasized the importance of community service since his inaugural in 2010. Today, approximately 1.5 million New Jerseyans contribute about 170 million hours of service each year, bringing a positive influence to neighborhoods and communities throughout the Garden State through local groups, houses of worship and civic organizations