Food Pantry in Passaic County, New Jersey

Soup Kitchen: Mon - Fri, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm; Food Pantry: Wed & Thurs, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

Paterson Food Pantry: Serves roughly 80 households a month. Provides 3 full meals for 3 days for every member of the household. Monday - Friday: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

Tuesday through Thursday, 9am to 1pm.

The Food Pantry opened in July of 2012 in response to people not being able to feed themselves and their pets. The Food Pantry is open twice a month to distribute food to people and their pets who need supplement food. We are in need of donations of non-perishable food items such as peanut butter, pasta, canned fish and ham, red sauce, mayonnaise, cereal, beans, canned vegetables and cat and dog food. The food items can be dropped off 24/7 to our donation bins located under the portico near the church office doors. Monetary donations are also accepted: please make checks to St. Agnes' Episcopal and put "Food Pantry" in the memo line. The Food Pantry is a community effort to help feed the hungry. Volunteers are welcome. Please call the church office should you have any questions.

Did you know that 1 person out of 11 goes hungry in NJ? It’s statistics like this that promoted our Ladies' Ministry to open The Pantry Our church doors are open every second and fourth Saturday from 9am to 1pmEST. Canned goods and pre-packaged food items are provided for those in need.

Most of the food comes from donations: St Mary's parishioners, other churches, individuals, businesses, schools, and organizations like the Scouts, the Elk's , Rotary, the Postal Workers, etc. About one quarter of our food comes form the Community Food Bank of N.J. - some at no cost to us (Federal & State supplied) and some bought with grant money from ShopRite of Oakland and from the Emergency Food Coalition of Passaic. Currently we have approximately 175 families enrolled in our Food Pantry. This comes to about 480 people (adults & children). They live mainly in Pompton Lakes, Wanaque, Haskell, Bloomingdale, and Butler. Included in the 480 people are about 185 children under the age of 18, about 38 seniors, 65 & older, and over 50 singles of all ages. Just about all races and religions are represented. Being that we are a legal, IRS recognized non-profit, all people are eligible as long as they live within our service area and meet the income guidelines supplied by TEFAP (The Emergency Food Program of NJ).

Everyone experiences tough times. It is our mission as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization to provide supplemental nourishment through our Food Pantry, short-term housing through our Transitional Family Shelter, and the resources and support to help our community members maintain a sense of dignity during difficult situations. Our Food Pantry provides supplemental food to those in our community experiencing hunger. Currently serving over 800 persons each month, individuals participating in our Pantry Program are provided a monthly allotment, which supplies each household with 3 days worth of grocery staples, including nonperishable foods, bread, meats, produce, and more, as available. Open three days out of the week, the SPH food pantry is a central resource center for various services made available to low income families and individuals. This includes health clinics, job postings, veteran’s services, health services, and access to other agencies and programs, on both a local and national level. Throughout the year, we support our pantry members with special programs to meet additional needs outside of their regular food allotment. This includes providing backpacks and school supplies to all students from Kindergarten through college, gifts for children and teenagers during the holiday season, warm coats, hats, gloves, & scarves in the winter months, and a turkey with all the fixings at Thanksgiving. FOOD PANTRY HOURS: Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday: 9am - 12pm.

Meeting Emergency Needs With Dignity (MEND) is an interfaith network of 16 food pantries located throughout Essex County, NJ. Hours: Families: M, W, F: 9am-12pm; 1-3pm; Seniors: Fri: 9am-12pm, 1-3pm

Groceries provided (3 meals per day for 3 days per person). One visit per month per family with children and seniors aged 62 and up. Need determination by referral or MACCM evaluation. OPEN Mon & Wed (10am-noon) at 498 Madison Avenue. CLOSED 1st week of each month. OPEN for emergencies.

Eva's Kitchen was founded in 1982 to help feed the hungry. To begin the feeding ministry, the first meal of hot dogs and beans was served in the basement of St. John’s Cathedral to 30 individuals. In the early 1990's an expanded kitchen was built on Main Street with capacity for 240 people. To help feed the growing number of homeless and working poor, an expansion in 2011 increased the capacity to 400. The Kitchen now serves a nutritious breakfast and lunch for up to 400 individuals, and is open 365 days a year. In addition to the meals served to guests in our Kitchen, daily meals are prepared for the 350 men, women and mothers with children who reside in our recovery and sheltering programs, amounting to 1,300 meals each day. Guests dining in our Community Kitchen do not stand in line to be served. We seat them at tables and serve them with dignity and respect. We serve all who come; we turn nobody away. During the extreme cold of winter and the summer months of July and August, the number of homeless and working poor needing a meal increase and another partial seating is added. Additional seating is provided to help feed the hungry on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Outside the dining hall is a large courtyard that is an area of social interaction. It is a safe and welcoming place closed off from the busy streets of Paterson. As relationships form, clients come to understand the many homeless, addiction treatment & health care resources available to them and may choose to take the next step, whether it is shelter, substance abuse treatment or free medical care. Volunteers to help feed the hungry are an essential ingredient in the Community Kitchen, and we welcome the participation of individuals as well as local businesses, religious, civic and educational groups.

The St. Paul's Community Development Corporation (SPCDC) Food Pantry began as a volunteer project of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in 1970. It has since outgrown its closet-sized beginnings and now encompasses a large space in the undercroft of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, maintaining an industrial freezer, accepting fresh vegetable donations daily, and maintaining a leadership role as one of the largest distributors of donated food in Passaic County, NJ. The purpose of the SPCDC Food Pantry is to provide supplemental food assistance to individuals and families who are unable to financially meet their daily nutritional requirements. Our ultimate goal is to develop self-sufficiency in our clients. Our food assistance program is intended as a "hand-up," not a "handout" in helping individuals and families achieve greater stability in their lives. Clients who demonstrate need receive emergency grocery packages each containing an equivalent of 15 meals. We also distribute over 400 turkeys in November during our Thanksgiving Holiday Drive, and provide food to our Emergency Men's Shelter Program. The SPCDC Pantry is operated with help from AmeriCorps*State Members, volunteers from local area churches, civic organizations, as well as Work First NJ and PathStone volunteers. North Porch, an organization operated by a group known as Episcopal Church Women, supports Pantry operations by annually providing emergency supplies and food to over 100 women and new mothers, with special consideration for those awaiting Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) eligibility. Because SPCDC carefully monitors clients through our Efforts to Outcomes Data Management System (ETO, Social Solutions, Inc.), we know that most clients use the SPCDC Pantry only once per year. This is consistent with our mission, which is to be an emergency resource for food assistance. Our goal is not to have participants depend on the SPCDC Pantry for assistance indefinitely. If this pattern emerges, SPCDC connect clients with relevant aid programs throughout the agency, as well as referrals for public assistance, general assistance, social security, and other types of emergency services. In 2014, the SPCDC Food Pantry provided services to 3,880 Heads of Households who in turn were supporting 4,247 dependents (adults & K-12). This level of support equated to 415,620 meals distributed.

The SOS Food Pantry is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, agency that is directed and operated by members of StrengthenOur Sisters. Those who visit and use our Food Pantry are people with disabilities, seniors, low income families, and individuals who have lost their jobs. We provide hundreds of low to no income families with nutritionally balanced foods including dairy products, fresh produce, meat, and bread.

The WIN Food Pantry operating today has its roots in a food pantry opened in 1984 as a result of the devastating Passaic River flood of that year. While we haven’t changed much operationally, we continue to serve an increasing number of individuals and families. Our food pantry is stocked through the very generous donations of our WIN members and their congregations, the community and many individual donations along with the support of various businesses and service organizations throughout Wayne, NJ and the surrounding areas. The primary purpose of the WIN Food Pantry is to distribute non-perishable nutritious food to eligible area residents in need. We also provide various cleaning supplies and personal care products, as available. Eligible individuals and families can obtain assistance once a month. Our goal is to provide supplemental assistance on an as-needed basis. Some individuals and families have a short term need while others may be in need of more prolonged assistance. The pantry itself is not open to the public. Volunteers pack bags of food and other items based on the supplies available as well as the needs of the household. Pantry clients are called when their food is ready to be picked up. Anyone requesting assistance must be a resident of Wayne, New Jersey. The Wayne Township Director of Senior and Social Services, Regina Parks, screens and documents all applicants and makes the appropriate recommendation to WIN. She will provide WIN with the names, addresses and phone numbers of those clients eligible to receive assistance. All clients pass through this process and are reevaluated on a continuing basis.

The emergency Food Pantry was started in 1988 and it works in cooperation with the Emergency Food Coalition which refers potential clients. Eligible clients may access the available resources from the food pantry once a month. Emergency food donations and the availability of food in stock dictate how many clients can be served on a monthly basis. At present this program provides food to 650 people a month

CUMAC feeds people and changes lives. It works to alleviate hunger and its root causes for those in need in Paterson, Passaic County, and northern New Jersey. CUMAC has been fighting hunger for over 30 years. With the help of our supporters and community partners, CUMAC operates an impressive array of programs that serve as a social safety net within the community of Paterson and beyond. FOOD PANTRY & REFERRAL OFFICE: CUMAC regularly fills over 3,000 requests for food a month for children, adults and seniors in need of regular and emergency assistance. The food we distribute is purchased for a nominal handling charge at the Community Food Bank or in bulk at retailers, collected via large-scale and local food drives, and donated by generous individuals, groups and grocery stores. We are grateful for all of our supporters - like Table to Table who rescues fresh food that would otherwise be wasted and sends it to our pantry - who continue to inspire us with their loyalty and kindness.

Oasis currently serves those fighting poverty by meeting numerous basic needs: Daily breakfast and lunch; Food bags from our pantry; Clothing for women and children in need; Diapers/other baby needs. For many of the women and children who come to our doors, Oasis provides the only nutritious and hot meal they receive all day. The Oasis soup kitchen is a reliable, welcoming, and safe place for the women and children we serve. From July 1, 2015-June 30, 2016, Oasis served 70,000 meals and distributed over 10,000 food bags, diapers, and baby supplies. During the holidays, Oasis also hosts special meals and distributes food and gift items donated from private sources.

The Center for Food Action (CFA), founded in 1976, is a non-profit, 501 (c) (3) organization that provides emergency services to northern New Jersey’s poorest and most vulnerable residents. CFA provides food, housing, utility and heating assistance and offers counseling and advocacy services to low-income individuals and families. CFA is headquartered in Englewood and has sites in Fairview, Hackensack, Mahwah, Ridgefield, Ringwood, and Saddle Brook. In 2014, at the request of Bergen Community College, CFA opened a site on BCC’s Paramus campus in order to serve low-income students and their families.

Food Pantry – Every third Wednesday and Thursday of the month

We offer food with dignity and respect to all our guests. Our aim is to provide a humble, empowering environment where food and personal necessities are available to individuals who need assistance in the community. Any in need are welcome. Hours: Monday ‐ Friday 8:00 a.m. ‐ 6:00 p.m; Every 2nd & 4th Saturday of each month: 11:00a.m. ‐ 3:00 p.m.; Persons must bring ID, proof of income, address, and children.

The Father's Cupboard Exists to provide food, personal and paper products to help those in need. Those in need can sign up in person, every Wednesday night at 5:30. The list of items available changes every week, but we typically have some variety of breads, baked items, fresh fruit or vegetables, and that's only the beginning. (Proof of hardship/income is required for some food items, but not all food items.). While donations of non-perishable foods are always accepted, financial donations are even more appreciated so we can purcahse in bulk at reduced prices not available to the public, from our suppliers. Sign-Up & Food Distribution: Wednesday Evening 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Center of Grace was founded in 2003 by Marie Ligon, to provide case management and referral services to women facing major life transitions, including moving from prison to re-entry and from addiction to sobriety. Since its beginning, the Center has served approximately 3,000 women, helping them transition toward greater stability in their lives. Marie is a community resident and has deep ties to the people and institutions of Paterson, allowing her to build authentic relationships and develop partnerships quickly.

Community Outreach Services, Inc.'s (COS's) core mission is the eradication of homelessness, hunger and poverty within the surrounding community. The COS Food Pantry is a powerful tool in the fight against hunger. The COS Food Pantry provides nutritious foods and household goods to over 1,200 families each month.

HMPSC distributes a bag of donated food and grocery products to individuals and homeless facing hunger in the area. This service is available three days a week (Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays) from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.