Helping to meet essential human needs of food-insecure residents of Orange and East Orange, NJ, with dignity and respect
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A proud member of the
MEND
network of food pantries and a proud partner with the
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NEW SIGN UP OPPORTUNITIES COMING NEXT WEEK - BE ON THE LOOKOUT!
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IFPO Secures New Temporary Space
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We are
beyond thrilled
to announce that we have leased a new physical space in Orange to utilize for the next two months! Thanks to our amazing partner
HANDS
, this space is ours to use rent-free till the end of June. We now have a secure, convenient location to temporarily store food, diapers and supplies. We will also use this space to pack food, produce and diapers in a socially distanced manner, so that we can then distribute these essential items to those in need in Orange and East Orange.
Thank you to the City of Orange for working with us to ensure that we quickly got the inspections and permits necessary to start using this space immediately, and to the
Community FoodBank
(CFB) for expeditiously approving it as an authorized pantry space.
This alarmed location will not be client accessible, but will be used by the IFPO as "back space" temporarily to enable us to continue our work.
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Our new space - isn't it fabulous?
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Double doors allow pallet access.
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Groceries from two neighborhood food drives, packed for distribution and in our new space.
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Inspecting the space. That empty room was quickly filled with food, diapers and supplies.
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IFPO leaders distancing In the space.
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Thrilled doesn't even come close to describing our emotions when 100 cases of diapers, wipes, diaper ointment and more we had sourced arrived at our new space. And the pallet was wheeled in through the double doors! IFPO Board members Karyn Boosin Leit, Shayna Schmidt, Jodi Cooperman and Rita Pignatelli rejoice! These diapers will be used for deliveries in May, as described below.
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Diapers from the CFB in our new space with IFPO Board member and Diaper Coordinator Karyn Boosin Leit. These diapers will all be used for May distributions (we'll directly deliver diaper, as we did in April, to more than 140 babies).
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Diabetes Program Continues Even Now
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Our incredible partner
Summit Medical Group Foundation
(
SMGF) is working to continue support to participants in the Diabetes program [Food, Health and Hope (FHH)] even though clients are not coming to our physical pantry during this time.
SMGF staff have been making wellness calls since March to talk to FHH participants about how they are managing their health now, and to reinforce their FHH program goals and education principles. Participants are encouraged and reminded of things they can continue to do even now. During the calls, participants are given COVID-19 related education, including coronavirus symptoms, hand-washing instruction, and infection prevention tips. Knowing healthy ways to manage the stress we may be experiencing related to the coronavirus is very important for all of us right now, and this is specifically discussed with FHH participants.
The IFPO worked with the City of Orange to take on the original distribution of April diabetes boxes, as related in a prior update. Distribution of May boxes, groceries and produce will begin shortly.
Over the last week, each FHH participant was sent a mailing to their home from SMGF. This included 3 information cards covering some of the important topics discussed during calls as a tangible reminder of the phone discussions, and allowed information to easily be shared with others living in the home.
We are grateful to SMGF's Anna Trautwein, Clinical Director of Programs and Community Wellness, and Angel Arevalo, and to the Community FoodBank (especially FHH program coordinator Tanishia Delapara) for their efforts to support our clients' health during this difficult time.
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Diaper Deliveries Continue
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A wonderful group of volunteers working in teams in separate cars made deliveries to 50 diaper clients with 63 babies in Orange and East Orange this week. Our diaper teams picked up diapers and supplies at our partner
Congregation B'nai Jeshurun (TBJ),
which had temporarily housed some supplies for us before our new space was ready, contacted clients (in three languages) to ensure they would be home when diapers were delivered, and made a contactless delivery of diapers (in the correct size), food and supplies. Each delivery consisted of a bag of non-perishable groceries, a bag of fresh produce, a 2 lb bag of flour, diapers, wipes, diaper rash ointment, baby food, and a mask. The groceries delivered came from two fabulous neighborhood food drives held last week to benefit the IFPO.
Our gratitude to our teams: the Ventura Family, Christine Fabrizio and Peggy Tornquist,
Laurie Silver-Corsello and Michelle Silver Harkavy, Liz Greer and Julie Mazer, Saba Khan and Gery McKenna, and Barrie Holtz and Ben Olinsky. Thanks to their enormous efforts, babies in Orange and East Orange will stay clean, dry and healthy, and families will have food to eat. Thanks also to IFPO Board members Jodi Cooperman, Rita Pignatelli and Karyn Boosin Leit, Registration Team members Ros McEvoy and Ben Olinsky, and Frank Langendorff for rescuing stored diaper packs
and other critically needed supplies
from our pantries in the Church.
Don Jaffe and Elyse Post
picked up sufficient diapers from our partner
Children's Aid and
Family Service
s
in Paramus to supply 42 babies with our May deliveries.
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When 2 neighborhood food drives gather more than 6 carloads of groceries in just two days, your diaper clients get amazing supplies!
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We procured produce and flour from Baldor.
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We created
social distancing piles of supplies for volunteers to pick up at
our partner Congregation B'nai Jeshurun (TBJ).
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Pulling up to the circle at TBJ.
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Cars loaded and ready to go.
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Ventura family, ready to go!
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Saba Khan and Gery McKenna delivering diapers.
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IFPO-Coordinated Food Deliveries and Distributions Continue
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On Wednesday April 29, our partner the Community FoodBank of NJ made the third food delivery to East Orange, utilizing two trucks that otherwise
would have
provided produce to our pantry's end of the month Farmers Market.
We were delighted to be able to secure applesauce, white kidney beans, corn, mac and cheese, peaches, soup, and jelly in addition to SFPP muffin mix, milk, grits and frozen vegetables and USDA products including chicken, beans, vegetable oil, cheese, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, soups and egg noodles. The delivery included
20 cases of onions, 15 cases of cabbage, 15 cases of apples, and 15 cases of oranges.
We are particularly grateful to CFB's Denyelle Burgess, our Network Engagement Specialist, who worked so hard to make this happen, and to Rita Butts and the City of East Orange workers who distributed this food to East Orange residents this week. Rice from this delivery was brought to the Holy Trinity Food Pantry, our MEND partner, which has opened their doors to our clients during this time.
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500 cases of matzah were . donated by ShopRite of Brookdale (Bloomfield). Perfect with the jelly!
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Protecting and Helping our Neighbors
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We have found that many of our clients do not have masks. We are trying to provide masks when we make contactless, curbside deliveries of food and diapers to their homes. Our always incredible partner
Summit Medical Group Foundation gave us 100 amazing fabric masks for our clients, but our need was ongoing.
Thank you to mask sewers Diana Galer Jaffe, Fran Miller, Abby Sher, Betsy Vinegrad, Judy Levine, Carisa Reilly and her mask team, and to a Short Hills resident who wishes to remain anonymous who made us 25 fabulous masks.
Thank you to our partner
ShopRite of Brookdale (Bloomfield)
for the donation of 500 boxes of matzah. It was given to East Orange for distribution.
Thank you to the
Linda and Rudy Slucker Religious School
of our partner
TSTI
who used tzedakah money to purchase 2000 "tshirt bags" for us. Thanks also to Laura Sacks and John and Jeanne Scott for tshirt bags. We will use all these bags for ongoing grocery distributions.
Our current grocery need if you are able to shop: pasta and rice!
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Diana Galer Jaffe of our partner Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel at work making masks.
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Masks from Diana Galer Jaffee
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Fran Miller of our partner Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel at work making masks. Fran has taught in TSTI's Religious School for many years, and many TSTI families still use sewn Passover Afikomen covers her students made years ago!
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Gorgeous masks with adjustable ties from Judy Levine!
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Thank you Ali Headley, neighbors and friends for these donations.
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Local food drives are helping us replenish our stocks. We're giving out groceries as fast as we receive them!
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Large cans will be delivered to East Orange, who is cooking meals for seniors.
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We are so incredibly appreciative of everyone who has assisted the IFPO during this challenging time for all, especially since your help came at a time when we are not able to operate in our usual manner. Whether you have contributed to a food drive, made phone calls, delivered food or diapers, did a pick up somewhere for us, made or supplied masks, got us grocery bags, or sent a financial contribution - you have all made it possible for us to continue helping our food insecure neighbors.
We've been asked to make it more obvious for those who would like to make a financial contribution at this time to enable us to continue to help under different circumstances.
Checks can be sent to:
IFPO,
P.O. Box 341, Short Hills, NJ 07078
Paypal donations can be made by clicking the "donate" link found
on this page.
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We're still posting pictures on
Facebook
as the IFPO continues in action. Follow us there to see all the great weekly happenings!
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The Interfaith Food Pantry of the Oranges is an equal opportunity provider.
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