Join Our Movement
& Make a Difference
Thank you for joining our efforts to end food insecurity in New Jersey. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of our neighbors in need.
There are many ways to make change happen.
Learn
Understand the current landscape of food insecurity and the public programs that address it.
Connect with Legislators
Let our lawmakers and community know you support our work.
Volunteer
Check out the many ways you can give your time.
Donate
Your generosity makes a critical difference in the work we do.
Hunger By The Numbers
0
of New Jerseyans are food insecure.
0
of children in NJ are food insecure.
0
of Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland county residents face hunger.
0
of kids in South Jersey face hunger.
0
is the poverty level for a family of 4.
0
is the minimum SNAP benefit.
SNAP
SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) serves more than 800,000 people in New Jersey and is the first line of defense against hunger for families, seniors, and adults with disabilities who have low incomes. SNAP works as a debit card that can only be used to buy food.
WIC
WIC (Women, Infants, Children) is a federal feeding program. It gives families with young children cash value cards to use when shopping for important healthy foods and offers nutrition information and other services.
National School Meal Program
Providing 395,000 children in New Jersey with free lunch and breakfast, the National School Meal Program ensures that they have enough nutrition during the school day to learn. It is available in most public schools, as well as many non-profit private and parochial schools.
Common Myths About Government Programs
MYTH
People who use these programs may not really need them.
FACT
Poverty in the U.S. is widespread: The Federal Reserve recently reported that 39 percent of Americans do not have enough savings to cover a $400 emergency and that about two-thirds of Americans between the ages of 20 and 65 will use one of these programs for at least a year.
MYTH
These programs are wasteful and give money to lazy people, undocumented people, or people who don’t really need help.
FACT
Poverty particularly affects seniors, people with disabilities, and children. It is estimated that half of all American children will have received SNAP benefits by the time they reach age 18. More than 75% of households receiving SNAP have at least one child, senior, and/or disabled person living there.
MYTH
The federal poverty levels are a measure of modern-day finances.
FACT
The way poverty is measured hasn’t changed since 1969 and is only adjusted annually for inflation.
How Does a Food Bank Work
How Food Gets to Pantries, Soup Kitchens, and Shelters
Our FoodBank is a complex storage and distribution system. It allows a river of food to flow efficiently through loading docks, onto trucks, and out into communities. Our warehouses provide safe storage, while the food finds its way to soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and feeding programs around the state. Because we know what food they need and when they need it, we are able to marshal our resources to provide it in the most cost-effective way possible, to the people who need it most. Our food sourcing experts take advantage of economies of scale, bulk-purchasing power, and relationships with retailers, food producers and packagers who donate surplus, close-dated, and mispackaged but perfectly good food.
More About Our Solutions to Hunger
We also act as a contractor for the State and Federal Government, administering their food purchasing programs and distributing the commodity supplemental food they package and supply, and through our national parent organization, Feeding America®, we participate in an inter-food bank exchange that allows each food bank to balance inventory, sending a surplus of corn, say, in one direction, and getting a needed shipment of pasta in return.
Finally, food banking reduces food waste. Last year, the Feeding America® network rescued 3.3 billion pounds of good food, which would otherwise end up in landfills. The bottom line? It costs us one dollar to provide one person with a healthy, balanced diet for an entire day.
Stay Informed About The Community FoodBank Of New Jersey
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How Are Nutrition Programs Funded?
The benefit portion of these programs are primarily funded by the federal government. The state contributes to administering SNAP and also contributes toward the cost of school meals.
Current Legislation
Understanding the Farm Bill
Food distribution by CFBNJ, our fellow New Jersey food banks, and our network of community partners (soup kitchens, food pantries, after-school and summer feeding programs, etc.) can meet only a small portion of the need of nearly 1 million of our neighbors facing food insecurity here in New Jersey.
The Farm Bill, passed every five years by Congress, contains funding for nutritional programs that are of critical importance to vulnerable families, seniors, and adults with disabilities. Making sure that Congress passes the strongest possible bill to provide funding for SNAP is a crucial advocacy priority.
Here are our priorities for the upcoming Farm Bill.
SNAP
Protect, strengthen and expand SNAP, simplify the SNAP application process and maintain all state flexibilities.
TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program)
Provide $350 million per year for TEFAP and $100 million a year for TEFAP storage and distribution to ensure adequate food for emergency food charities across the country.
Our Neighbors' Stories
Press of Atlantic City: Atlantic City casino execs, workers hand out food to those in need before Thanksgiving
Press of Atlantic City: Atlantic City casino execs, workers hand out food to those in need before Thanksgiving https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/In-the-News.png 1280 550 CFBNJ https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/In-the-News.pngJersey Proud: Community Food Bank of New Jersey serves its 1 billionth meal
Jan 11, 2024, 10:44pmUpdated on Jan 11, 2024
By: Matt Trapani and Kurt Siegelin
0:16
/
0:49
The year was 1975 – Kathleen DiChiara did something that was very “Jersey Proud.” She started giving food to those in need out of the back of her station wagon.
CBS News New York: Community FoodBank of New Jersey mascot unveiled on CBS News New York
CBS News New York: Community FoodBank of New Jersey mascot unveiled on CBS News New York https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/In-the-News.png 1280 550 CFBNJ https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/In-the-News.pngJersey Proud: Community Food Bank of New Jersey serves its 1 billionth meal
Jan 11, 2024, 10:44pmUpdated on Jan 11, 2024
By: Matt Trapani and Kurt Siegelin
0:16
/
0:49
The year was 1975 – Kathleen DiChiara did something that was very “Jersey Proud.” She started giving food to those in need out of the back of her station wagon.
NJ Spotlight News: NJ food pantries race to feed families before Thanksgiving
NJ Spotlight News: NJ food pantries race to feed families before Thanksgiving https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/In-the-News.png 1280 550 CFBNJ https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/In-the-News.pngJersey Proud: Community Food Bank of New Jersey serves its 1 billionth meal
Jan 11, 2024, 10:44pmUpdated on Jan 11, 2024
By: Matt Trapani and Kurt Siegelin
0:16
/
0:49
The year was 1975 – Kathleen DiChiara did something that was very “Jersey Proud.” She started giving food to those in need out of the back of her station wagon.