Campaign to assist the hungry begins today with Trenton folk
By Eric A. Bryant and Doug McNamara
The New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition is asking NJ state government to step to the “plate” — literally.
The NJAHC will meet today at the state capital to jumpstart its “Throw A Line to the Hungry” campaign. The campaign aims to get an additional $10 million line item added to the state budget for the purchase of a food supply to feed people coming to local food pantries and soup kitchens.
“We are challenging our new governor and Legislature to work with us and support the creation of an ongoing funding stream to feed the state’s ever-growing population of hungry residents,” urged LaTourette.
The coalition is composed of anti-hunger advocates, staff, volunteer and board members from hunger relief organizations throughout the state. The group was established in 2003 with the goal of identifying and implementing long-term solutions to the problem of hunger in New Jersey.
At more than 280,000 square feet, the NJ Community Food Bank is the largest food bank in the state. The food bank ships over 24 million pounds of food annually to 1,500 food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and other programs in 18 New Jersey counties.
Meara Nigro, the bank’s communications director, explained the bank is a go-between. “We try to be the person who unites” the needy and distributors. The bank serves 19 emergency pantries and six soup kitchens in Elizabeth and one pantry in Hillside, she added.
Non-profit organizations served by the food bank provide assistance to over half a million low-income NJ residents each month.
The Food Bank mobilizes over 60,000 volunteer hours per year. Through that volunteer dedication, the food bank is able to distribute $8 to $11 of food for every $1 of its annual budget. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the bank shipped a lot of food New Orleans, leaving it about 800,000 pounds behind the holiday season numbers last year, said Nigro.
But there is some question as to how much the food bank really needs in terms of monetary gifts. Governor Richard J. Codey recently established a plan to provide a total of $300,000 in new funding to the food bank. Therefore, some think the state is already doing enough to combat the problem of hunger.
Each year, the U.S. Conference of Mayors releases a report titled “Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America’s Cities,” which summarizes poverty and hunger data in major U.S. cities. Every year the report concludes that poverty is “on the rise in major U.S. cities.”
But a recent report published by the Heritage Foundation for Policy Research & Analysis stated that “on a typical day, less than one American in 200 will experience hunger due to a lack of money to buy food. The continuing broadcast of alarming but inaccurate figures can only distract from real problems facing the nation.”
Kathleen DiChiara, director of the Community Food Bank, disagrees.
She said hunger and poverty are on the rise and the demand at food banks and soup kitchens has dramatically increased over the past 20 years.
“We’re not talking about millions to provide food for the on-the-street substance abuser,” she reasons. “The majority of people served by emergency food providers are senior citizens, children, and the working poor.” For more information about NJAHC call 201-569-1804, ext. 23. For information about how you can assist the Community Food Bank, call 908-355-3663 or on the web at www.njfoodbank.org.
Eric A. Bryant can be reached at 908-686-7700, ext. 124, or gazetteleader@yahoo.com.
The NJAHC will meet today at the state capital to jumpstart its “Throw A Line to the Hungry” campaign. The campaign aims to get an additional $10 million line item added to the state budget for the purchase of a food supply to feed people coming to local food pantries and soup kitchens.
“We are challenging our new governor and Legislature to work with us and support the creation of an ongoing funding stream to feed the state’s ever-growing population of hungry residents,” urged LaTourette.
The coalition is composed of anti-hunger advocates, staff, volunteer and board members from hunger relief organizations throughout the state. The group was established in 2003 with the goal of identifying and implementing long-term solutions to the problem of hunger in New Jersey.
At more than 280,000 square feet, the NJ Community Food Bank is the largest food bank in the state. The food bank ships over 24 million pounds of food annually to 1,500 food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and other programs in 18 New Jersey counties.
Meara Nigro, the bank’s communications director, explained the bank is a go-between. “We try to be the person who unites” the needy and distributors. The bank serves 19 emergency pantries and six soup kitchens in Elizabeth and one pantry in Hillside, she added.
Non-profit organizations served by the food bank provide assistance to over half a million low-income NJ residents each month.
The Food Bank mobilizes over 60,000 volunteer hours per year. Through that volunteer dedication, the food bank is able to distribute $8 to $11 of food for every $1 of its annual budget. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, the bank shipped a lot of food New Orleans, leaving it about 800,000 pounds behind the holiday season numbers last year, said Nigro.
But there is some question as to how much the food bank really needs in terms of monetary gifts. Governor Richard J. Codey recently established a plan to provide a total of $300,000 in new funding to the food bank. Therefore, some think the state is already doing enough to combat the problem of hunger.
Each year, the U.S. Conference of Mayors releases a report titled “Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America’s Cities,” which summarizes poverty and hunger data in major U.S. cities. Every year the report concludes that poverty is “on the rise in major U.S. cities.”
But a recent report published by the Heritage Foundation for Policy Research & Analysis stated that “on a typical day, less than one American in 200 will experience hunger due to a lack of money to buy food. The continuing broadcast of alarming but inaccurate figures can only distract from real problems facing the nation.”
Kathleen DiChiara, director of the Community Food Bank, disagrees.
She said hunger and poverty are on the rise and the demand at food banks and soup kitchens has dramatically increased over the past 20 years.
“We’re not talking about millions to provide food for the on-the-street substance abuser,” she reasons. “The majority of people served by emergency food providers are senior citizens, children, and the working poor.” For more information about NJAHC call 201-569-1804, ext. 23. For information about how you can assist the Community Food Bank, call 908-355-3663 or on the web at www.njfoodbank.org.
Eric A. Bryant can be reached at 908-686-7700, ext. 124, or gazetteleader@yahoo.com.
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