Growing up in Colombia, Carlos Roldan experienced the harsh reality of hunger firsthand.
“In Colombia, it’s typical that if you have breakfast, you don’t have lunch. If you have lunch, you don’t have dinner,” he recalled. This personal experience shaped his deep empathy for those in need and ignited his passion for feeding his neighbors.
When Carlos moved to the United States, he had high hopes of helping his family and community back in Colombia. But then he was shocked to discover that hunger exists here, too.
“There are people going hungry in this country. Nobody should go hungry, especially in the United States,” he said.
Carlos’s introduction to the Father English Community Center, where he now serves as Food Pantry Director, came through his brother, who worked there when the food pantry was just a small operation.
“At first, we were only seeing 200 people a month,” he explained. “But I knew I could do more.”
Determined to expand their reach, Carlos began doing outreach, visiting churches in Paterson, and asking congregants to donate food.
“Some parishes hesitated because they thought the community would come asking for food instead of donating. But I said, ‘That’s okay. We can feed them too.'”
Under Carlos’ leadership, the food pantry grew rapidly.
“Within a few months, we were seeing 1,000 people per month, then 2,000,” he said.
Inspired by his own experiences as a child in Colombia, Carlos put himself in the shoes of those waiting in line for food: “Imagine being in line, explaining to strangers why you need food, answering all these questions about your family, your job, your life. And then, after all that, you get food you might not even eat, peanut butter when your child is allergic, pasta when you want rice and beans.”
Determined to give people more control and respect, Carlos proposed a new system: the People’s Choice Food Pantry.
“I wanted to create a place where people could shop for their own food, just like in a grocery store, but without cash registers,” Carlos explained.
The point system he introduced allowed families to choose the food they wanted based on their needs.
“It wasn’t about just giving food anymore, it was about giving people dignity,” he shared.
Carlos’ vision caught the attention of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, and he was invited to train others on how to adopt the People’s Choice model. The impact was profound.
“We went from serving 1,000 people to 7,000,” Carlos shared. “When COVID hit, we had to shift gears, but we kept going. We started delivering food to seniors, unhoused people, and those in shelters.”
Despite the challenges, Carlos never lost sight of his ultimate goal: to empower people to do more than just receive food: “I don’t want people coming here for the next 30 years for a bag of food. I want to help them learn English, learn computers, and get jobs so they don’t need us anymore.”
For Carlos, feeding people is more than just a job; it’s his passion. “If you want to see God, go outside and give a bag of food to someone in need,” he said, echoing the words of CFBNJ founder Kathleen DiChiara, who inspired him to always act with compassion. “Her words and her way of treating people with kindness will stay with me forever.”
Carlos looks forward to the future of Father English’s pantry, which will soon reopen in a new space designed like a supermarket, complete with shopping carts and produce sections.
“The only difference is there won’t be any cash registers,” he said with a smile.
