NJ food pantries challenged to keep up with growing demand

People respond to tragedy; it is human nature to help. Volunteers, money and resources are pouring into Haiti from North Jersey and elsewhere to provide relief to victims of the largest earthquake in the island’s history.

R.L. REBACH / STAFF ILLUSTRATOR

But there is also a quiet, growing tragedy here at home as more and more people struggle to put food on the table.

Ask anyone who works at any of the area food banks and they will tell you that demand in New Jersey is on the rise, even in traditionally well-to-do Bergen and Passaic communities.

“People that never, ever thought that they would need help are coming to us,” says Patricia Espy, executive director of the Center for Food Action, headquartered in Englewood and with outreach sites in Carlstadt, Elmwood Park, Fairview, Hackensack, Mahwah, Palisades Park and Ringwood.

Like many charitable organizations, food banks face the challenge of meeting yearlong demand with the donations that come primarily during the “giving season” between Thanksgiving and the December holidays.

“Once you get through the holidays, food donations drop off,” says Tim Vogel, the director of food distribution for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. The Community FoodBank fills the role of supplier for many food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters throughout the state. It uses bulk purchasing power to stretch donation dollars and is also a coordinating partner for many of the corporate food drives statewide.

Educating the public that demand is not seasonal is key to keeping the shelves at food banks stocked for those in need. With that in mind, we present this look at the food pantry network:

Donations
Cash is always welcome, and bags of food are good, too, but an alternative that offers food banks flexibility is supermarket gift cards, because they can be given to those in need to allow them to buy the foods they prefer.

The gift of food
To those who qualify, the Center for Food Action gives a week’s worth of food per person per household (a family of four gets seven days of food for four people), and they can use the food bank nine times and for Thanksgiving. Food packages are customized to meet health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure as well as for vegetarian and kosher diets.

What they get
A family of four gets approximately $180 worth of food, and while the contents can vary with supply, all packages are nutritionally balanced. A typical package contains two boxes of cold cereal, 16 envelopes of hot cereal, four cans of evaporated milk, one jar of peanut butter, one jar of jelly, eight cans of soup, two cans or boxes of potatoes, six cans of vegetables, two cans of baked beans, three cans of beans, one box of pancake mix and one bottle of syrup, one can of coffee and/or tea, three boxes of macaroni and cheese, one bag of dried beans, five boxes of dry pasta, two jars of tomato sauce, one can of tomatoes, four cans of tuna, three cans of fruit, two boxes of Jello or pudding, a family-size bag of sugar, assorted snacks, a loaf of bread, house-cleaning supplies, a bar of soap, a tube of toothpaste, fresh eggs and cheese.

Food distributions
In Bergen and Passaic counties, by the Center for Food Action:
2008: $2.7 million (48,000 packages)
2009: $3 million (50,000 packages)

Statewide, by the Community FoodBank:
2008: 23 million pounds
2009:33 million pounds

Urgently needed
Food banks never thought they would have to ask, but because of increased demand, hearty soups are urgently needed.

Also needed

• Canned meat (tuna, chicken, ham)
• Canned vegetables
• Macaroni and cheese
• Peanut butter and jelly
• Cereal (low-sugar kids cereal welcome)
• Dry milk
• Canned fruit
• Instant potatoes
• 100 percent juice
• Baby formula and diapers sizes 4 to 6
• Bar soap
• Toothpaste and toothbrushes

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If you need help or want to give

North Jersey food pantries affiliated with the New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition:

Bergen County

Buddies of New Jersey Inc.
149 Hudson St., Hackensack
201-489-2900

njbuddies.org

Center for Food Action

cfanj.org

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