2020 marks the Community FoodBank of New Jersey’s 45th year of delivering food, help and hope to our state’s neighbors in need. We’ve grown from a one-woman operation in the back of a station wagon to New Jersey’s largest anti-hunger organization, fueling over 1,000 community partners with food for more than 50 million nutritious meals annually.
Our history is rich with accomplishments, but hunger still persists in every city, every town and every county throughout New Jersey from the poorest neighborhoods to the most affluent. This will be a year dedicated to reflecting on our past, celebrating those who have impacted our mission, and looking ahead to the future as we work to eliminate barriers to food security.
Together, we will continue to nourish our neighbors in need because everyone deserves to feel full.
In recognition of this milestone, we’re evolving our brand with the introduction of a new logo – one that embodies all the ways that we work to fight hunger in New Jersey, providing food for today and helping to address the root causes of food insecurity with a focus on wellness, ultimately filling our hungry neighbors’ hearts with hope.
Click here to see more videos from our YouTube channel.
Celebrate 45 Years with a Monthly Gift
Your generous monthly gift in honor of the FoodBank’s 45th anniversary will enable us to continue providing food, help, and hope for future generations. With a recurring donation of $45 or more, you’ll receive a special gift!
Click here to become a monthly donor.
Take a look at our timeline of major milestones in the Community FoodBank of New Jersey’s rich 45-year history of providing food, help, and hope to struggling neighbors throughout New Jersey. From 1975 to 2020 and beyond, we have worked tirelessly towards eliminating hunger in our state.
Click here to see the timeline.
Current FoodBank President & CEO Carlos Rodriguez sat down with our Founder, Kathleen DiChiara, and long-time food banker Cathy McCann to learn more about how the FoodBank has evolved over the years and to get their perspectives on hunger in New Jersey.
Click here to read the full Q&A.
Read real stories of some of the people whose lives have been touched by our work–parents, seniors, volunteers, and more.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, where we’ll be sharing more milestones, stories, and insights into our history throughout 2020.
Click here to visit our Facebook page.
45 Years in Photos
Where it all began: Kathleen’s station wagon in 1975 
Volunteers sort food at one of the FoodBank’s former locations 
We moved to 75 Stockton Street, a 20,000 square-foot warehouse in Newark, in May 1983.
By 1988, the FoodBank enabled the work of 720 agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens, and more. 
Also in 1988, the FoodBank moved to Fenwick Street in Newark… 
…and then to our current home on Evans Terminal in Hillside in 1993.
The following year, our South Jersey location moved from Landisville to Egg Harbor Township, where it still is today, serving Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland counties.
In 1996, the FoodBank distributed more than 12 million pounds of food. 
Bruce Springsteen is a long-time celebrity supporter of our mission. 
The Food Service Training Academy launched in 2000…. 
…and the FoodBank held its first annual turkey drive 19 years ago. 
After the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attack, the Salvation Army designated the FoodBank as the processing center for all relief donations arriving from points west and south of New York City. We coordinated emergency supplies and provided bottled water and meals to feed rescue and recovery workers over the next few months.
America’s Second Harvest, now called Feeding America, held the first Hunger Action Month in 2002. 
In 2012, the FoodBank helped those left in need by Superstorm Sandy, distributing sandwiches and emergency supplies. 
In 2017, the FoodBank introduced its Hunger as a Health Issue initiatives, including our Healthy Families Farmers Markets and Diabetes Initiative. 
In 2018, we launched our Period Initiative to address menstrual inequity among women and girls in need. 
Today, we work with local and state government to propose and implement long-term solutions to the problem of hunger in New Jersey.
Today, we are the hub of a robust network of community partners and feeding programs, distributing enough food to support more than 50 million meals annually.