Atlantic City, other US casinos donate excess food during closure

When New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday last week that the city's nine casinos would be shutting down indefinitely, the gambling parlors realized they had tons of food that could possibly go to waste. Less than 12 hours after they closed their doors to gamblers, Atlantic City's casinos were donating pallets of fresh and packaged food to the region's food banks, community centers and social service agencies.

All nine of the city's casinos — Bally's Atlantic City, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Caesars Atlantic City, Golden Nugget Atlantic City, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, Harrah's Resort Atlantic City, Ocean Casino Resort, Resorts Casino Hotel and Tropicana Atlantic City — have been making deliveries or arranging pickups since Tuesday morning, The Press of Atlantic City reports.

Organizations such as the Community Food Bank of New Jersey — Southern Branch, Turning Point Day Center for the Homeless, the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, the Salvation Army and the Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City have been the recipients of food donations from the casinos, allowing each of them to serve those in need.

"It's been a blessing," said Torrie Garvin, chief operating officer of the Boys and Girls Club, on Wednesday afternoon as he handed out bagged lunches to familiar faces and strangers alike. The Boys and Girls Club set up tables outside the Mayor James L. Usry Child Day Care Center on Drexel Avenue to pass out the nearly 1,500 pre-packed meals from Borgata. 

Mayor Marty Small Sr., who used to work for the Boys and Girls Club and attended the center as a youth, said the city was grateful to the casinos for stepping up. "This is who Atlantic City is," Small said. "We're a supportive community, we're a resilient community. We come together in a time of crisis." 

As casinos across the country are closing because of COVID-19, they, too, are donating food to local organizations. From California to Rhode Island, gaming companies are helping to fill pantries just as thousands of people are losing their income and school children are going without a daily meal.

Some of the food that was not suitable for human consumption — meaning it was past its expiration date but still suitable for certain animals — was donated to The Funny Farm Animal Rescue in Mays Landing by the chefs at Martorano’s at Harrah’s Resort.

"Not only is the support needed now, but even more support is going to be needed because of the economic impact of our parents not working and our kids not in school afterwards," said Stephanie Koch, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City.