Volunteers at the MCFOODS distribution center, which is moving to East Brunswick from New Brunswick. The center is staffed by volunteers as well as employees of the Middlesex County Improvement Authority. COURTESY OF MCFOODS EAST BRUNSWICK — Having served the community for 21 years, the Middlesex County Food Organization and Outreach Distribution Services — known as MCFOODS — will be moving to East Brunswick.
“The lease is set to expire at the end of August at our current distribution site in New Brunswick,” said the MCFOODS Project Manager, Jennifer Apostol.
“Our new East Brunswick location will accommodate all of our needs, while remaining in a central county location.”
The new site will be located within close proximity to Exit 9 off the New Jersey Turnpike. Apostol said the move was scheduled to happen in early September.
The ann-ouncement was made during an annual networking meeting that included local food pantries, churches and social services agencies.
MCFOODS was created in 1994 by the Board of Chosen Freeholders to make sure that those in need have access to food. The food bank distributes food at no cost to 80 local food pantries and soup kitchens in the county as well as 25 other agencies from shelters to social service agencies, according to the website.
“Each Tuesday and Wednesday, about 40 of these organizations visit our warehouse to receive a portion of some of the 30,000 pounds of products MCFOODS distributes. The representatives then transport that food back to their respective locations, where it is distributed to their client base. County-wide, that number of clients could easily reach into the tens of thousands,” said Apostol.
During the 2014 food drives, MCFOODS collected thousands of pounds of food from local organizations in East Brunswick, including the East Brunswick High School Football Team, which donated 6,000 pounds of food; the East Brunswick Division of Recreation donated 5,250 pounds, Our Savior Lutheran Church gave 3,100 pounds, and Temple B’Nai Shalom donated 2,450 pounds.
That year a total of 1,481,600 pounds of food was collected from multiple sources throughout the county and in turn distributed to those in need.
“In 2014, MCFOODS distributed about 740 tons of food to the food agencies. To date, our organization has distributed around 472 tons in 2015,” said Apostol.
According to the website, McFoods not only accepts canned goods and non-perishable food items, but also personal care items like shampoo, soap, toothpaste, and baby products.
“We wish that homelessness and hunger weren’t an issue for Middlesex County,” said Freeholder Deputy Director Carol Bellante in a press release.
“Unfortunately, that remains to be seen in this day and age, and we are combating these issues from all sides. In that respect, this provides a platform, in which the major players in both of these arenas can work cohesively and learn from each other’s experiences.”
MCFOODS has year-round food drop off locations at public libraries in East Brunswick, Monroe, Edison and others in the county.