Our 50th anniversary in 2025 marks a monumental milestone—a time to reflect with pride on our journey, which began in 1975 when our late founder, Kathleen DiChiara, distributed food from her station wagon in Newark. As we celebrate this achievement, we also look forward to the next 50 years, working toward our vision of a hunger-free New Jersey.

Building Healthier Communities for 50 Years

For 50 years, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, together with our dedicated community partners, volunteers and donors, has worked to fill the emptiness caused by hunger with food, help and hope. In that time, CFBNJ has grown to become the largest anti-hunger, anti-poverty organization in the state. We’ve helped put the issue of food insecurity on the map and transformed the lives of millions.

As we celebrate this milestone, we’re also looking ahead. With your continued support, we can build healthier communities where every New Jersey neighbor has enough nutritious food to eat—and together, we can end hunger in our state.

Celebrating 50 Years of Impact

We supplied for more than

1 BILLION MEALS

of nutritious food to neighbors in need

We equipped over

3,000 FSTA STUDENTS

with essential job skills, offering them a second chance at success

We empower over

800 PARTNERS

who provide vital services and nourishment to those in need within their local communities

In celebration of CFBNJ’s 50th anniversary, an anonymous donor is stepping up to DOUBLE all new monthly pledges!

50 Stories For 50 Years

Michael Meyer, Director of Operations

Michael Meyer, Director of Operations https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Michael-Meyer-1.jpg 1280 550 CFBNJ CFBNJ https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Michael-Meyer-1.jpg April 15, 2025 April 15, 2025

Michael Meyer grew up in a small town with excellent academics and athletics, but he went through a rough patch and left school without a plan. Without a plan, Michael was stuck. Eventually, he had to find a job after spending some time in a halfway house. “One of my roommates was very confident about…

Donna Vecere, Cooper Levenson/Let Us Eat – Please

Donna Vecere, Cooper Levenson/Let Us Eat – Please https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Donna-Vecere.jpg 1280 550 CFBNJ CFBNJ https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Donna-Vecere.jpg April 10, 2025 April 10, 2025

Each year, Donna Vecere plays a pivotal role in the success of Captain’s Table, the signature fundraising event for Let Us Eat – Please. “Overall, it makes for a night of great fun. It’s a very popular event,” she said with pride. Let Us Eat – Please is a charitable project of the Atlantic City…

Chuck Salzman, CFBNJ Board Member, Peerless Beverage Company

Chuck Salzman, CFBNJ Board Member, Peerless Beverage Company https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Chuck-Salzman.jpg 1280 550 CFBNJ CFBNJ https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Chuck-Salzman.jpg April 10, 2025 April 10, 2025

Chuck Salzman is all about giving back to the community – both personally and professionally. He’s the current President of Peerless Beverage Company, which has been a CFBNJ corporate partner for more than three decades, and he also serves on the FoodBank’s Board of Directors. Chuck clearly remembers the first time he ever visited the…

Marc Cinque, Premio Foods

Marc Cinque, Premio Foods https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Marc-Cinque.jpg 1280 550 CFBNJ CFBNJ https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Marc-Cinque.jpg April 10, 2025 April 10, 2025

For Marc Cinque, President of Premio Foods, the journey with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) started with an unexpected visit: “A woman came to one of our factories in the late ‘80s or early ‘90s asking for a donation. She was driving a station wagon, looking to pick up sausage for people who…

Karen Meleta, Wakefern Food Corporation

Karen Meleta, Wakefern Food Corporation https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Karen-Meleta.jpg 1280 550 CFBNJ CFBNJ https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Karen-Meleta.jpg April 10, 2025 April 10, 2025

Karen Meleta, Chief Communications Officer for Wakefern Food Corporation, has spent over 25 years in corporate communications and philanthropy, with a deep commitment to helping others. Her connection to the work of CFBNJ goes back to her childhood in Brooklyn, where she recalls her family experiencing financial struggles. “We were fortunate to have our extended…

Mark Donovan, Founder & Executive Director, Denver Basic Income Project

Mark Donovan, Founder & Executive Director, Denver Basic Income Project https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Mark-Donovan.jpg 1280 550 CFBNJ CFBNJ https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Mark-Donovan.jpg April 10, 2025 April 10, 2025

Mark Donovan has spent his career looking for ways to challenge traditional systems and create meaningful change. From his early days in business to his work in the nonprofit sector, his focus has always been on finding innovative solutions to support those in need. His connection to CFBNJ dates back to the early 1990s, when…

Maisha Moore and Eric Scheffler, CRDA

Maisha Moore and Eric Scheffler, CRDA https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CRDA.jpg 1280 550 CFBNJ CFBNJ https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/CRDA.jpg April 10, 2025 April 10, 2025

Maisha Moore and Eric Sheffler have deep ties to the Atlantic City community and have worked to address food insecurity through their roles at the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA). Eric is a lifelong resident of Atlantic County – which has one of the highest rates of food insecurity in New Jersey – and has…

Frank Ruiz, Director of Operations, Center for Food Action

Frank Ruiz, Director of Operations, Center for Food Action https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Frank-Ruiz.jpg 1280 550 CFBNJ CFBNJ https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Frank-Ruiz.jpg April 10, 2025 April 10, 2025

For the past eight years, Frank Ruiz has been a cornerstone of support for those in need in Bergen and Passaic Counties through his role at the Center for Food Action, a CFBNJ community partner. Frank’s journey into the nonprofit sector came unexpectedly after two decades in the corporate world. “I worked at Markel Paper…

Ken Calemmo, Cooper Levenson/Let Us Eat – Please

Ken Calemmo, Cooper Levenson/Let Us Eat – Please https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ken-Calemmo.jpg 1280 550 CFBNJ CFBNJ https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ken-Calemmo.jpg April 10, 2025 April 10, 2025

Ken Calemmo Jr. has spent more than 35 years at the Atlantic City law firm Cooper Levenson, where he’s found strong alignment with his own personal values. “I have a real dedication to the Atlantic City area,” he explained. “It has always been important to me and to my organization to build connections in the…

Laura Sodano Beausoleil, Retired Hunger Action Coordinator

Laura Sodano Beausoleil, Retired Hunger Action Coordinator https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Laura-Sodano.jpg 1280 550 CFBNJ CFBNJ https://cfbnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Laura-Sodano.jpg April 10, 2025 April 10, 2025

Laura Sodano Beausoleil originally didn’t know what a food bank was. The first time she heard the words was at a Bruce Springsteen concert from Bruce himself, who was on stage talking about the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. After the show, Laura went back home and opened her phone book to find the FoodBank…

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