Lois Bennett never imagined she would end up running one of the largest food pantries in New Jersey. But looking back now, it makes perfect sense. Her journey started with a deep understanding of struggle.
“Two of my three kids were born with a genetic condition that was supposed to kill them before they left high school,” she shared. The challenges of raising a family while navigating the medical system, insurance battles, and financial strain opened her eyes to just how hard life could be. “I would say to my husband, ‘I have no idea how a single mom does it.’”
That question turned into action. Lois started small, helping to collect and distribute food through her church. But she quickly saw that need wasn’t always recognized: “We had at-risk youth coming to the church, and church members tried to tell me, ‘No, they were not in need.’” She started a pantry at the church to feed those kids and the expanded into the community when she began partnering with CFBNJ, eventually establishing Feeding Hands as a formalized nonprofit ten years ago.
Throughout her work, Lois found inspiration in Community FoodBank of New Jersey founder Kathleen DiChiara. “Kathleen thoroughly understood what we go through. She knew how hard the job was, physically and emotionally.” Her leadership wasn’t about giving orders from afar, it was about showing up and doing the work alongside everyone else.
One of the moments that stuck with Lois was what she calls “The Potato Story.” A shipment of potatoes arrived at the FoodBank, and many were rotten. The initial instinct was to discard the whole load. “Kathleen said, ‘Absolutely not.’ She stood there with the volunteers and employees and said, ‘This is what we do. There’s good food in here. We’re going to pull out the good food and get rid of the bad.’” She wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty, proving that no job was beneath her.
Lois carries that same mindset in her work today. “When I first started, I was putting food in my car, driving it to make sure people got fed.” That hands-on dedication has grown into an impressive operation, and Feeding Hands now mobilizes 28,000 volunteer hours each year to address food insecurity in Somerset County. “Without the FoodBank, there’s no way I could have started this pantry. They took me in, believed in me, and now we’re feeding thousands.”
Looking ahead, Lois has a clear vision of what needs to change: “Food is a basic need. I would love to see our country recognize that. We’ll probably never get to zero hunger, but we need to be advocating more, to the government, to donors, to anyone who will listen.”
Kathleen’s legacy of perseverance and service continues to live on through Lois and countless others. “I know that when I call CFBNJ, they know I’m coming from the same place Kathleen did. We’re here to make a difference. And we won’t stop.”