State’s largest anti-hunger, anti-poverty organization announces new future direction
HILLSIDE, NJ—August 30, 2023
The Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) proudly announces that its Board of Directors approved a multi-year strategic approach towards its ultimate goal of ending hunger in the Garden State. The plan prioritizes collaboration with community partners, including food pantries and other local food assistance organizations, and an increase in the organization’s effectiveness and impact to achieve a bold vision of reducing food insecurity in CFBNJ’s 15-county service area by 50% by the year 2030. This objective is aligned with targets set by the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, & Health in Fall 2022 as well as the national organization Feeding America.
CFBNJ has provided hundreds of millions of nutritious meals since it was founded, but the organization acknowledges that the way it’s been operating won’t eliminate hunger in New Jersey. That’s why the strategic plan emphasizes the importance of partnership and addresses underlying causes of food insecurity with a focus on supportive services in addition to emergency food distribution.
“This strategic plan, and especially the organization’s focus on addressing the root causes of hunger, is part of what drew me to CFBNJ, and I’m excited to lead its implementation,” said Elizabeth McCarthy, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey’s new President & CEO, who assumed her role in mid-July. “It’s a practical plan with New Jersey neighbors in need at its core. When we work together with all sectors of society, we know that food insecurity is solvable, and this new approach puts us on the path to a hunger-free state.”
Specific mission delivery priorities include “new and better” food distribution, healthy and nutritious food for neighbor wellness, and activism and investment in the New Jersey food security ecosystem. Addressing these priorities will rely on activities such as developing tailored solutions in partnership with local community leaders and providers, emphasizing availability and access to locally grown nutrient-dense food sources, engaging in public policy work, and more.
To read the full executive summary of the strategic plan, visit cfbnj.org/strategic-plan.
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The Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ), a member of Feeding America®, has been delivering food, help and hope across the state for more than 45 years. Last year, CFBNJ provided nutritious food for over 85 million meals through its network of more than 800 community partners including pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, mobile pantries, and child and senior feeding programs, serving 11 New Jersey counties directly and four in partnership with affiliate organizations. For our hungry neighbors, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey is the powerful agent of change that fills the emptiness caused by hunger and provides resources that are essential to earning a sustainable living.