Free Food & Services

Free Food & Services

Find a food pantry near you and explore the free services that can help you and your family.

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Apply for Food Assistance

Apply for Food Assistance Programs

Get free help applying for Food Assistance Programs and accessing the benefits available to you and your family.

Apply For WIC 

Apply For SNAP

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Job Training

Job Training

Sign up for one of CFBNJ’s free job training programs that can prepare you for a career in the culinary or logistics industries.

 

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Healthy Recipes

Healthy Recipes

Healthy recipes, cooking videos, and tips are all here. Browse through the info provided by our Nutrition Education team to get the most out of your grocery budget without compromising on nutrition.

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Donate

Donate

Learn about all the ways to give a monetary gift, including recurring donations, planned gifts, tributes, and more to CFBNJ to lift up our neighbors.

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Volunteer

Volunteer

Explore the many opportunities to volunteer – whether that is packing food with your company, family, and friends at either our Hillside or Egg Harbor Township locations, distributing healthy food at one of our partners, or making phone calls from the comfort of your home.

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Advocate

Advocate

Take action to support our advocacy efforts that address the root causes of hunger and learn more about how CFBNJ collaborates with legislators.

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Fundraise

Fundraise

Coordinate a virtual or in-person fundraiser with friends, family, or coworkers.

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Donate Food & Goods

Donate Food & Goods

Over one-third of our food is donated by generous supporters like you. Set up a food or special product drive, join our retail food donation program, and more.

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Make a Corporate Donation

Make a Corporate Donation

Manufacturers, retailers, corporations, and small businesses can donate food, funds, and time.

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Events

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Attend a CFBNJ event to show your support and meet other like-minded supporters.

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Youth

Youth

Opportunities for youth engagement includes fundraising, food drives, and service days.

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Sign Up to Volunteer

Sign Up to Volunteer

Sign up to sort and pack food with your company, family, and friends at either our Hillside or Egg Harbor locations.

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Corporate Groups

Corporate Groups

Use your next company outing to give back to your community.

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Special Volunteer Programs

Special Volunteer Programs

View the opportunities available for regular volunteers to level up their participation at CFBNJ.

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Youth

Special Volunteer Programs

Opportunities for youth engagement includes fundraising, food drives, and service days.

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About Us

About Us

Discover how our journey began almost 50 years ago, and how we are committed to ending hunger in New Jersey.

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Our Programs

Learn about what we do to help our neighbors in need.

Learn about what we do to help our neighbors in need.

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How a FoodBank Works

How a FoodBank Works

Understand how food and hygiene supplies get from our two warehouses to your community.

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Leadership

Leadership

Meet our executive leadership team and Board of Directors.

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Annual Report & Financials

Annual Report & Financials

Get a clear picture of our finances, how our programs impact the community, and how it all ties together.

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Careers

Careers

Check out our career opportunities and don’t miss a chance to put your talents to work for a great purpose.

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News & Press

Keep up to date with the latest news about our work to end hunger.

Keep up to date with the latest news about our work to end hunger.

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Our Locations

Locations

We have locations in Hillside and Egg Harbor Township, each with their own events and volunteering opportunities.

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Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan

Explore the roadmap of the future of CFBNJ and how we plan on helping hungry neighbors going forward.

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CFBNJ Distributes Its One Billionth Meal

CFBNJ Distributes Its One Billionth Meal

CFBNJ Distributes Its One Billionth Meal 1280 550 CFBNJ

State’s largest food bank acknowledges outpouring of need and support, sets sights on increasing food access

HILLSIDE, NJ – January 11, 2024

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ), the state’s largest food bank, announced today that it recently surpassed the one billion meal mark for meals distributed to neighbors in need across its 15-county service area. For 49 years, CFBNJ has provided food, help, and hope, building and supporting a network of more than 800 local food assistance organizations, including food pantries, soup kitchens, child and senior nutrition programs, and more. Recently, rising prices of food and other necessities, stagnant wages, and the end of pandemic-related federal safety nets have made the need for food assistance even greater than it was at the height of the pandemic. Last year, CFBNJ’s average monthly food distribution was about 46% higher than in it was early 2020.

“Surpassing the one billion meal mark is a proud moment for us at CFBNJ, but it also speaks to the challenges that too many of our neighbors have faced in being able to afford nutritious food for themselves and their families,” said Elizabeth McCarthy, President & CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. “More than 725,000 people in New Jersey are food insecure. About 530,000 of them live in CFBNJ’s service area. But where we’ve seen heartbreaking need, we’ve also seen incredible generosity. This milestone was possible thanks to members of the community who have given food, funds, time, and their voices to help improve access to healthy food for their neighbors.”

CFBNJ was founded in 1975 by Kathleen DiChiara, who started out by giving food to those in need from the back of her station wagon. In 1982, when it was officially incorporated, the organization provided enough food for 125,000 meals. Last year, it distributed food to support more than 90 million meals.

Over the years, CFBNJ has not only grown in capacity but has also greatly improved the type of food it provides. Highly nutritious “foods to encourage,” including lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products, now comprise 76% of the total food it distributes. As CFBNJ looks to the future, the organization has a bold goal of reducing food insecurity in its service area by 50% by the year 2030, not just by distributing food, but also through long-term supportive solutions designed to shorten food pantry lines by providing job training, hygiene products, nutrition education, SNAP application assistance, and health-targeted services like diabetes screenings.

“Our ultimate goal is to put ourselves out of business by eliminating food insecurity in New Jersey entirely,” McCarthy added. “It will take the collaboration of all sectors of society to accomplish such a vision. Together with our network of community partners, corporate funders, government allies, and countless individual supporters, we know that it’s achievable.”

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The Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ), a member of Feeding America® and the state’s largest anti-hunger organization, has been delivering food, help, and hope across the Garden State for nearly 50 years. Last year, CFBNJ provided nutritious food for over 90 million meals through its network of more than 800 community partners, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, child and senior nutrition programs, and more, serving 11 New Jersey counties directly and four in partnership with affiliate food banks. It also addresses the root causes of food insecurity with supportive services like nutrition education, job training, SNAP outreach, and hygiene product distribution. By delivering neighbor- centered solutions and collaborating with all sectors of society, CFBNJ believes that food insecurity is a solvable problem.

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