Food Insecurity in Bergen County

Dear Friends of Family Promise,

The hot topic for this update is food insecurity in Bergen County - aka HUNGER . Up until the pandemic hit, food insecurity in Bergen County was much more hidden. But with nearly 1.17 million New Jerseyans unemployed due to COVID-19, it has become clear that NJ families are struggling to put food on the table. 

In response to the surge in the need Officials in Bergen County announced the creation of a food security task force seeking to “strengthen the food safety net that many residents are relying on”, according to County Executive, Jim Tedesco. As experts in addressing hunger, Family Promise has been asked to join the task force. Our 29 year history of providing the Walk-in Dinner in Hackensack and our recent work with World Central Kitchen in Englewood positions us to make significant contributions to this important conversation.
Our work with World Central Kitchen has again been extended. We are in our 10 th week of distributing 400 meals per day five days per week. In addition, we are distributing 15 pound boxes of produce every Friday from the campus of St. Cecilia’s Church in Englewood. Family Promise volunteers have distributed 22,000 meals and over 6 tons of produce thus far and are committed to keeping the program going!
At the Walk-in Dinner , we continue to feed between 140 and 150 people every night of the week regardless of the weather. The motto of the US Postal Service Shelter could apply to our dedicated volunteers delivering meals to former shelter residents who are now living in motels. “ Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”  Recipients of the meals thanked our volunteers for recently braving hail and heavy rains to ensure that they were fed.
Officials in Bergen County announced the creation of a food security task force seeking to “strengthen the food safety net that many residents are relying on”, according to County Executive, Jim Tedesco. Family Promise will be an important part of that initiative. Read the announcement here .
The families in our Network and New Leaf programs , who are all in apartments and hotel rooms, continue to amaze us with their determination to make the most of this difficult time. We have parents who are receiving job training, taking college classes, attending workshops virtually, and learning English, when many of us are just trying to make it through the day. I admire their fortitude!

While so many things are different in this COVID environment, Family Promise is proud to be consistently meeting the needs of those facing hunger and homelessness in our community.

Stay safe everyone,
Kate


Please click below to support these efforts. 
201-833-8009
kduggan@bergenfamilypromise.org