With a hungry heart for service, Bruce Springsteen has long believed that we take care of our own, a sentiment he exemplifies as a devoted friend and champion of CFBNJ.
His connection to the FoodBank dates back over four decades, and his relationship with founder Kathleen DiChiara was a meaningful one. “I met Kathleen more than 40 years ago, and she was just this charismatic, deeply devoted woman,” Bruce recalled. “And I’ve supported the Community FoodBank of New Jersey since then because in a country as rich as ours, it’s a national tragedy that there are children and adults who go to bed at night hungry.”
He and Kathleen shared a commitment to ensuring that no one in the Garden State went without enough to eat. Springsteen not only respected her tireless dedication but also stood beside her as a powerful ally in raising funds, spreading awareness, and inspiring action. At several of his concerts, Kathleen even joined him on stage to appeal to his generous fans for support. Still today, Bruce hosts CFBNJ volunteers at many of his New Jersey shows, allowing them to ask attendees for donations. A friend and advocate for the effort to address hunger nationwide, he’s well-known for supporting local food banks at all his concerts throughout the U.S., too, and some of his concerts overseas.
Always willing to do more than just lend his name, Springsteen has shown up to address food insecurity — literally. Over the years, he visited CFBNJ’s warehouse — not as a celebrity guest but as a humble volunteer. He would unload trucks, move boxes of food, and do whatever else was needed to help, fitting in alongside other volunteers with ease. “You look a lot like Bruce Springsteen,” people would occasionally say to him, unaware that they were working shoulder-to-shoulder with the real deal. For Bruce, it was never about the spotlight — it was about serving the community.
Beyond his hands-on help, Springsteen has consistently used his platform to uplift the FoodBank’s mission, amplifying CFBNJ’s fundraising efforts each year on Giving Tuesday via his social media channels. He has also helped CFBNJ to raise funds by donating signed guitars to be auctioned off at events. In 2008, when hunger in New Jersey surged during the financial crisis, Bruce appeared in newspaper ads across the state to urge support for CFBNJ. The “We Can’t Let This Bank Fail” campaign drew attention to the FoodBank at a time when resources were stretched thin and need was greater than ever.
“The FoodBank’s been very, very important to me over the years,” Bruce said. “I continue my involvement with it to this day. It’s one of the great joys of my life, and Kathleen is simply one of my heroes.” Bruce’s belief in the dignity of every person, his understanding that hunger doesn’t discriminate, and his determination to help all make him not just a musical legend but a true hometown hero.
“Because in help, there’s always hope,” he concluded.