Those involved with food banks across central New Jersey are working to alleviate hunger, a persistent problem plaguing families and individuals across the state.
The number of those experiencing hunger continues to rise in New Jersey, according to a study by Feeding America, a nonprofit that seeks to educate the public about hunger in the United States. The “Hunger in America 2014” study, which focused on clients of the Community Foodbank of New Jersey, showed that 90 percent of those families are food-insecure and 75 percent buy inexpensive food just to satisfy their hunger, though it might be unhealthy.
Food banks like the Middlesex County Food Organization and Outreach Distribution Services (MCFOODS) in New Brunswick are working to bring the statistics to an all-time low, according to Jennifer Apostol, coordinator of the county network.
“We are doing our best every day to provide food and meet the needs of those who need our help, and we work hard to share our resources with everyone we can possibly reach out to. Hunger is just a difficult and awful situation,” Apostol said. Launched in 1994, MCFOODS coordinates food-collection and distribution activities for all areas of Middlesex County.
“We serve almost every township in the county and service over 100 food pantries and soup kitchens across Middlesex,” Apostol said.
While MCFOODS receives most of its food and other items from the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Hillside, the Middlesex County food network also accepts donations and receives about 40,000 pounds of food weekly, according to Apostol.
Some of the most needed items include peanut butter, vegetables, canned meats and soup, and the food can be donated year-round at collection sites set up at libraries in Edison, East Brunswick, Metuchen, Milltown, Monroe, North Brunswick, Perth Amboy, Piscataway, Plainsboro, South Amboy, South Brunswick, South Plainfield, Spotswood and Woodbridge.
The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, headquartered in Neptune City, helps one in 10 families in the region, according to Executive Director Carlos Rodriguez.
“The food bank touches no less than 71,000 people. Our neighbors need us and we must all come together to address the needs of the community and hold the lines of hunger far away,” Rodriguez said.
Elijah’s Promise in New Brunswick works to combat hunger by providing nutritious and healthful food to individuals in need, according to Executive Director Jim Zullo.
“Our mission was founded in 1989 when three New Brunswick churches came together to start a soup kitchen. Since then, we serve two meals a day weekdays and one on weekends, and we are proud to say we have never missed a meal,” Zullo said.
The organization’s Promise Culinary School aims to provide unemployed members of the community with a place to get job training and acquire new skills.
“We wanted to get the people we help engaged with something valuable. Our culinary school has trained 750 students so far and has an 85 percent graduation rate, and 90 percent of our students get placed into jobs within the culinary field,” Zullo said.
The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, founded in 1984 in a small building in Spring Lake, has become the primary provider of food and services to a network of more than 300 partner agencies, according to Rodriguez. The facility receives food from government and private entities, as well as through donations from individuals, local farms and manufacturers.
“We have helped at least 131,000 families each year and have received 12,000 additional families after [superstorm] Sandy. We are always working in partnership with the community,” Rodriguez said.
Apostol said it is important to get the whole community to work together toward a greater good.
“If there is ever a group in a local school or a local club who wants to hold a food drive, we encourage that activity and will help them out by supplying boxes for donations towards their drive and whatever help they need. We always get young volunteers at our center,” Apostol said.
Rodriguez said volunteers are always encouraged.
“People can learn to become a leader in their community through volunteering at a food bank. It is a great way to help out your local community,” Rodriguez said.
Volunteering at a soup kitchen not only gives volunteers the opportunity to support the fight against poverty; it provides necessary education about hunger, Zullo said.
“We get about 2,500 to 3,000 volunteers annually and always enough hands to help out every shift,” Zullo said.
Food banks have been introducing new resources to help people in need get back on their feet, according to Apostol.
“MCFOODS works very hard to get families connected with resources they need, and in collaboration with the Community Food Bank, we work together in providing food stamps for families who enroll and help them with that process,” Apostol said.
Thanks to $300,000 in support grants for partner agencies, the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties works with clients on programs such as filing tax returns and finding affordable health insurance, Rodriguez said.
“Some of the families we help might be eligible for other government programs by doing their taxes. Public and private health insurance also has an impact on families and some have high amounts of unpaid medical bills. It is all life-changing,” Rodriguez said.
Elijah’s Promise provides outside services such as Promise Catering in Highland Park and their Better World Market in Somerset — both operated by graduates and current students of the organization’s culinary program.
“At both services, we are providing individuals with high-quality foods and fresh produce from local farms. The services symbolize a sense of community, and we also provide health screenings there,” Zullo said.
Elijah’s Promise also offers education on urban agriculture and provides community gardens for those seeking to grow their own products.
Monmouth County Freeholder John Curley, who serves as social services liaison for the county, has seen firsthand the effects hunger can have on a person.
“My wife and I saw a woman around our neighborhood once who was sick and hungry, so we helped her buy some groceries. After some time passed, we found out the woman died due to malnutrition. It isn’t happening anymore just in one part of our community … it is surrounding all of our neighborhoods,” Curley said.
The work that food banks do daily is essential, Curley said.
“No one has any ideas the calls that I get from families struggling to make ends meet. By bringing awareness to the problem, we can all work together,” Curley said.
Apostol said being the coordinator of a food bank has been a very positive experience in her life.
“It is very heartwarming and rewarding to get involved with this and see the smiles of people you help,” Apostol said.
Zullo said organizations that work to fight hunger are making positive moves in their communities.
“We are working to break down barriers and all eat together in one environment. We are also teaching individuals how to be self-sufficient, which is very important,” Zullo said.
Rodriguez said the food banks are all working daily to eliminate hunger.
“We must tell hunger it isn’t welcomed anymore and nourish it enough to make it eventually disappear,” Rodriguez said.