Heroes for Today – Local Food Pantries

"This, rather, is the fasting that I wish...Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own."

Isaiah 38:6-7

St. Peter Claver Food Pantry - You probably know that our church has a food pantry. About 60 Montclair residents and several people from surrounding areas come to the rectory on a regular basis. Camelia Miller gives them grocery bags full of food. Profits from our Mardi Gras help supply our pantry as do individual donations throughout the year.

 

A number of other “hero” organizations are supplying food to those in need. Here are some of them:

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey, the largest source of donated food in the state, distributes 22 million pounds of food per year to over 1,500 agencies which feed more than 500,000 people per month at food pantries, shelters for the homeless, soup kitchens, childcare centers, battered women's shelters and senior citizen programs. The mission statement of The Community FoodBank is, "To fight hunger and poverty by the distribution of food and grocery products, by education and training, by creating model programs, and by involving all sectors of society in this battle." They rely on more than 25,000 volunteers each year to sort and repack food for distribution, sort and assemble outfits for individual children, prepare bulk mailings, collect food and turkeys at community food drives and assist with fundraisers. For more information or to donate or volunteer, call (908) 355-3663, ext. 221, or visit

http://www.njfoodbank.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Help_donate

 

Toni's Kitchen, where the motto is, “More than Soup...Feeding the Soul,” is a food ministry at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 73 South Fullerton Avenue, Montclair. There, as many as 70 guests are offered “warm hospitality and a hot, nutritious meal” 11:30-12:30 every Thursday, Friday and Saturday, as well as on Christmas Day. Volunteers become annual sponsors, donate food, search out sources of food and funds or work in the kitchen. Toni’s Kitchen staff says, “The more regular a volunteer is, the more satisfying it is for that person.” If you are interested in joining Toni’s Kitchen’s team call, Toni's Kitchen Coordinator, MaryAnn at 973-860-0768. For more information see http://www.toniskitchen.org. Beginning April 14th, Rev. Charlie Ortman, Pastor at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Montclair will bike from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean to raise consciousness about the hungry among us. All money raised will go to benefit Toni’s Kitchen. Get a form to sponsor him in back of the church!

 

The Salvation Army has similar programs at noon on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, feeding about 75 people a day at The Montclair Citadel - temporarily housed in the Central Presbyterian Church at the corner of Park and Claremont during construction of their new headquarters. For more information call (973) 744 3312 or visit sarmy@montclaircitadel.org.

 

The Human Needs Food Pantry is at 9 Label St., Montclair. Their mission is to provide food, clothing and other services to people in need who live in Montclair and neighboring communities in Essex County. The Pantry distributes a variety of foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, to clients, 12:30-2:15 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They provide formula, baby food and diapers for parents with infants. More than half of the food distributed is received through programs coordinated by the Community Food Bank of New Jersey.  The rest comes from food drives and the purchase of fresh food.  They also provide clothing, housewares and medical screenings, working with Mountainside Hospital.

To donate or volunteer, call (973) 746-4669 or visit http://www.humanneedsfoodpantry.org/

 

“There is a moment in time when each and every one of us needs a helping hand,’’ said Michelle Obama. Describing Miriam’s Kitchen, an Organic Soup Kitchen in Washington D.C., she said it’s “an example of what we can do as a country and a community to help folks when they’re down.”

3/15/09 Issue 10