It’s the time of the year most associated with giving thanks, and giving back. In Long Beach Township, the municipality’s building and zoning department continued its autumn tradition of coordinating monetary donations for the food pantry at St. Francis Community Center in Brant Beach, and, late last month, a check in the amount of $21,800 was presented to St. Francis Human Concerns.

For the past seven years in the lead-up to Thanksgiving, the township construction and zoning department has asked for…