FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Nicole Williams, Communications Manager
nwilliams@cfbnj.org / 908-355-3663 ext. 282
COMMUNITY FOODBANK OF NEW JERSEY HOLDS EMERGENCY FOOD DISTRIBUTION AT NEWARK AIRPORT
Provides food and other resources to federal employees, with support of philanthropic partners
NEWARK, NJ—January 24, 2019
On Wednesday, January 23, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey held an emergency food distribution outside of Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport to assist the airport’s federal workers, many of whom have been forced to work without pay during the government shutdown. FoodBank staff and volunteers from Stop & Shop distributed fresh produce and boxes of healthy nonperishables to more than 380 Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP) workers. Members of the FoodBank’s SNAP Outreach team also helped to facilitate SNAP applications for more than 60 people in need of additional assistance.
The distribution was made possible with support from some of the FoodBank’s philanthropic partners, including Stop & Shop, NJ State AFL-CIO, and Wakefern Food Corporation. Federal employees at the airport went home with enough food to help sustain their families as the shutdown drags on—tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, pasta, cereal, canned chicken and tuna, just to name a few items.
“Together with great partners like Stop & Shop, we’re here to provide for our neighbors in need during this time of crisis,” said Carlos Rodriguez, President & CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. “We urge the White House and Congress to reopen the government and put an end to this needless hardship, but in the meantime, we’re doing all that we can to assist the people who work hard for our country every day.”
The FoodBank and its network of more than 1,000 community partners have experienced an influx of visits from federal workers, many of whom may be facing hunger for the first time in their lives. As this week marks one month since the federal government shut down and employees are about to miss their second paycheck, the impact on hunger is becoming dire, and many now face impossible choices, like whether to pay for food or other bills.
“At the FoodBank, we know that hunger is an emergency that can strike at any time,” Rodriguez said. “Unfortunately, this particular emergency is manmade and preventable.”
The FoodBank is continually monitoring the need and will plan additional distributions at Newark Airport or other locations to serve federal workers as the need dictates.
The Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ), a member of Feeding America®, has been delivering food, help and hope across the state for over 40 years. Last year, CFBNJ provided nutritious food for over 47 million meals through its network of more than 1,000 community partners including pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, mobile pantries, and child and senior feeding programs. 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.