The complimentary lunch, courtesy of WHYY, prepared and served by 1911 Smokehouse BBQ in Trenton, New Jersey, including ribs, hamburgers, collard greens, macaroni and cheese and vegan sausages, was a wonderful idea, said Willingboro resident Gail Fountaine.
“It brings people together, and we love that,” she said. “These events build relationships. It’s multigenerational, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Sitting next to Fountaine, former Willingboro Mayor Lavonne Bebler Johnson said, “It’s great to have WHYY hear about what’s going on in the community,” she said. “And if you don’t have community, you just have a bunch of houses.”
Gail Fountaine (right) and former mayor of Willingboro Lavonne Bebler Johnson chat with each other at the WHYY Willingboro Community Picnic June 6th 2026. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
Neighbors, nonprofits and local leaders connect
Tiana Harvey, 16, said she enjoyed her cheeseburger, mac and cheese, and collard greens.
“You meet a lot of people from different backgrounds and find out about their personalities,” she said.
Allison Eckel, deputy director of the Burlington County Board of Commissioners, agreed that the barbecue was a great way to bring people together.
“We want to hear how people are doing in our diverse county,” she said. “This picnic … is another opportunity to check in with neighbors, relax and enjoy some great food and interact with them.”
Burlington County Sheriff Jim Kostoplis and his outreach unit set up an information table to give residents information about programs designed to help and protect them.
“It lets them know we’re people just like they are,” he said. “Our mission is to help people, and this helps us share that message.”
The New Jersey Department of Children and Families, or DCF, was also represented at the event. Brandi Harding, deputy director of the Division of Child Protection and Permanency within DCF, said several people inquired about adoption and foster care opportunities.
“All it takes is one individual or one family to make a life-changing difference for a child,” she said. “We were thrilled to have a chance to give people information about the program.”
Glover said that hosting a relaxing, barbecue lunch with neighbors is “classic, quintessential WHYY.”
“Our focus, our mission, is to be of public service, and we get story ideas from interacting with citizens, audience members and members of the community,” she said. “It separates us from other news sources, and we’re grateful to be able to serve the community.”
WHYY holds civic news events across the region year-round, including pop-up newsrooms, educational media literacy sessions and other events on topics such as health care and housing. Glover said community engagement activities will continue as WHYY News seeks to deepen its community-building in the Garden State.