Hunger a hard reality in local communities

FoodBank kicks off Hunger Action Month to raise awareness and donations

BY NICOLE ANTONUCCI
Staff Writer

 Carlos Rodriguez, executive director of the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties in Neptune, speaks during the kickoff of Hunger Action Month.  KEITH HEUMILLER Carlos Rodriguez, executive director of the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties in Neptune, speaks during the kickoff of Hunger Action Month. KEITH HEUMILLER More than 125,000 residents of Monmouth and Ocean counties experience hunger on a daily basis, translating to one in 10 residents, a fact that underscored the kickoff of Hunger Action Month by the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties last week.

“If we had all the people that we provided food for last year line up and hold hands they would reach from Belmar to Trenton three times,” said Carlos Rodriguez, executive director of the Neptunebased FoodBank.

The 127,500 residents who go hungry every day represent an 84 percent increase since 2005. Of that total, approximately 51,000 are children and approximately 14,000 of them are under the age of 5, Rodriguez said.

Elected officials and representatives of nonprofits and local municipalities gathered at the FoodBank on Aug. 29 for Hunger Action Month event.

“During this month of September we are called to mobilize and engage people in America to take action, to make a difference and to help individuals and families in our local communities,” Rodriguez told the small crowd gathered inside the FoodBank warehouse that included youths taking action to fight hunger.

“It is only with continued support of all our communities, our federal, state and local governments that we can achieve our mission,” he said, “which is to alleviate hunger and build food security in Monmouth and Ocean Counties.”

This year’s campaign urges local residents and officials to “Speak Out Against Hunger,” to come together to be vocal about making a difference, he said.

Local towns including Aberdeen, Eatontown, Freehold, Brielle, Spring Lake and others are promoting the campaign with orange ribbons or bows posted throughout the towns and collection bins outside municipal buildings to promote food donations.

“Eatontown has been very active in providing food to the needy,” Mayor Gerald Tarantolo said, adding that the borough hosts a large food pantry in the Industrial Park as well as satellite pantries at local churches.

“A lot is happening in Eatontown and I am very pleased with the involvement of the community in [events] like this.”

Paper plates bearing messages written by clients of area food pantries, soup kitchens and other feeding programs — the voices of hunger in local communities — are on display at the FoodBank. Douglas Eagles, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County, Red Bank and Asbury Park, read from one of the plates: “The FoodBank helps me survive.”

Eagles explained that the organization provides young people with a safe place to receive life-transforming services and one of those services includes a hot meal.

“Kids cannot succeed in school, can’t resist gangs or drugs, can’t thrive in life if they are stressed every day about where they are going to get their next meal,” Eagles said.

“With the food bank’s assistance we are able to provide them meals and only then can the programs we offer them impact their lives.”

Lunch Break, a soup kitchen and food pantry located in Red Bank, feeds approximately 45,000 families a month.

“People are coming in droves needing food and these aren’t people that don’t have jobs. They have jobs, but the basic need for them is to pay rent. Here they are with four children and they need food,” Millie Jeter, executive assistant at Lunch Break said.

Isaiah Cooper, executive director of the Keyport Ministerium Food Pantry, said that although September is Hunger Action Month it’s a campaign that extends all year long. “We do it all year long, not just during a dedicated month,” he said. “We’re also looking forward to the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas will be coming up soon and we want to make sure we’re prepared to continue helping after this month is over. “The Food Bank trains and educates all the food pantries and soup kitchens in the two counties. If you have a specific problem, you can go to them for support or help or whatever you need.”

To help raise awareness of Hunger Action Month, the FoodBank distributed a “30 Ways in 30 Days” calendar that offers innovative ways to promote the campaign including fundraisers like lemonade stands and food drives. Youths from Spring Lake are hosting the Healing Hunger Carnival and will set up a lemonade stand and carnival games.

For the past eight years, Manasquan High School Senior Monica Murphy, the FoodBank’s 2011 junior humanitarian, created a themed sculpture out of food cans, helping to collect approximately 13,000 pounds of food.

This year’s sculpture spells out “Speak Out.”

Xander Bossone, also from Manasquan, used his last two birthdays to conduct a food drive, collecting over 11,200 pounds of food and approximately $3,000 in cash donations.

“My goal is to show young people everywhere the importance of donating their time and efforts to those less fortunate so that we can all can make a difference. See it, say it and speak out against hunger,” Bossone said.

The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, a member of Feeding America, secures and distributes approximately 7 million pounds of donated food annually to a network of approximately 260 hunger relief organizations in the two counties.

According to Barbara Sholz, director of advocacy and programs, while the food distribution program is the biggest function of the food bank, the organization provides other programs including a backpack program, culinary job skills training, kids café, senior food program, food stamps and the summer service program, most of which are federally funded and at risk of being cut.

Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-6th District) stated that without awareness, nutritional programs like food stamps and other supplemental programs that serve the food bank would be cut.

“At this time there is a greater need,” Pallone said.

“I don’t think many are aware of that and if they are made aware, two things would happen: more people will contribute, bringing more food here from the private sector, and more support would come from the federal level for the food programs.”