Making a Difference

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey, a member of Feeding America, fights hunger and poverty by the distribution of food and grocery products, by education and training, by creating new programs to meet the needs of low-income people, and by involving all sectors of society in this battle. Since our incorporation in 1982, we have grown in both the size and scope of our operation. We annually assist charities serving up to 900,000 people in need. With the help of so many caring individuals, corporations, foundations, houses of worship, schools and community groups, we have distributed, since our incorporation, almost 400 million pounds of food and groceries valued at nearly one billion dollars. We are making a difference!

The Community FoodBank annually…

  • Distributes almost 40 million pounds of food and other groceries in 18 NJ counties.
  • Distributes over 2 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables through our Produce Program.
  • Helps private, nonprofit groups where hungry people turn for help—food pantries, shelters for the homeless, soup kitchens, child care centers, battered women’s shelters, senior programs.
  • Serves more than 1,100 nonprofit feeding programs from its Hillside headquarters and its Southern Branch in Egg Harbor Township and an additional 435 programs through our Partner Distribution Organizations: the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties in Neptune, NORWESCAP Food Bank in Phillipsburg, and Mercer Street Friends Food Bank in Trenton.
  • Picks up large-scale donations from more than 250 corporations in New Jersey and across the country—food may be dry, refrigerated or frozen.
  • Works to educate the community and policy makers about the issues of hunger and poverty.
  • Offers training workshops for Partner Agencies on topics such as nutrition education, safe food handling procedures and changes in state and federal nutrition programs.
  • Helps provide kosher foods to organizations assisting needy individuals who require them.
  • 29,130 volunteer visits to our warehouse resulted in over 75,000 hours of service last year. (This represents a savings of approximately $1.4 million, based on what it would cost to hire people to do the work. This total doesn’t include all the volunteers who help us off-site.)

The Community FoodBank has…

  • Two fully equipped warehouses—280,000 square feet of space in Hillside and 28,000 square feet at our Southern Branch.
  • A fleet of trucks, including two 53-foot tractor-trailers, on the road daily (refrigerated/dry).
  • More than 100,000 cubic feet of freezer and cooler space in Hillside and 17,500 cubic feet at the Southern Branch.
  • A Food Service Training Academy in our on-site commercial kitchen.
  • A full-service Catering Program that helps support the Food Service Training Academy.
  • A Food Rescue Program picking up ready-to-heat food from caterers, airlines and corporate dining services.
  • A Supermarket Gleaning Program picking up frozen meats, fresh fruits, vegetables and deli items five days a week from most major supermarket chains and specialty stores.
  • Sixteen Kids Cafes providing hot dinners five days a week to 1300 low-income children in after school programs. The number will continue to grow as funding becomes available.
  • A Kids Closet Program distributing new donated clothing free to children in need.
  • Tools 4 Schools program distributing free school supplies in underserved communities.
  • A Backpack Program that provides backpacks full of supplemental nutritious foods to children at risk of hunger over the weekend. These kid-friendly foods are shelf-stable and need little to no preparation.
  • A Family Meals Program offering nutritious, heat-and-serve meals to help low-income parents. • A Thrift Shop selling new and “gently used” household furnishings and clothing.
  • Experienced staff, providing professional service to help the hungry.
  • A Community Pantry and Community Garden at our Southern Branch in Egg Harbor Township.

The FoodBank budget…

  • 71% is contributed by friends of the FoodBank.
    • Individuals, groups, congregations, corporations and foundations
    • Through direct mail appeals and annual fundraisers like Check-Out Hunger and our Blue Jean Ball.
  • 13% is contributed by the nonprofit groups through a nominal handling fee on food and groceries they receive.
  • 6% is generated through our purchased food program.
  • 7% is derived from revenues earned from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture for the distribution of commodities.
  • 3% consists of miscellaneous income.

Collaborations…

  • The Community FoodBank is a member of New Jersey Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NJVOAD) and works with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), The Salvation Army and other relief organizations to provide emergency assistance to victims of natural and man-made disasters.
  • Working with Jersey Cares, we help distribute more than 20,000 donated coats a year.
  • Kids in Distressed Situations (KIDS) solicits donations of new children’s clothing and toys for us to distribute to children through agencies serving low-income families.
  • The Children’s Place is a major donor of new clothing and back packs for our Kids Division.
  • Kids in Need provides school supplies for our Tools 4 Schools Program to help kids in underserved school districts.
  • The Community FoodBank helped initiate the Interfaith Partnership for Disaster Recovery to provide support and assistance to those affected by disasters.

The Community FoodBank keeps expenses at a minimum by utilizing donated goods and services and by carefully monitoring all expenses. The contributions of food, funds, equipment, services and volunteer time are vital for its very existence.

Revised: January 2011