When Margaret found herself out of work, she turned to the Community Assistance Pantry at CFBNJ’s Egg Harbor Township location for help.
“The first time I came here, I was really scared that I wouldn’t be approved to get anything,” she said. “I haven’t qualified for any government benefits, but they’ve done so much for me at the pantry.”
As she looks for her next opportunity, she especially appreciates the fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat that the pantry provides.
“I’ve never heard of a pantry before where you can actually get fresh meat that you can bring home and cook. They give us everything here. It’s amazing,” Margaret told us.
Her three youngest kids live at home with her, and when her older child comes to visit with her grandkids, it’s a full house! It takes a lot of food to feed eight people, and Margaret’s eleven-year-old son Sam has a particularly big appetite.
“He’s a little grown man,” Margaret said, laughing, “and he’s fed well thanks to this food bank.”
Sam is an athlete who loves football and wrestling. With help from the pantry, he has plenty of energy to play sports and root for his favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles. He never goes to bed on an empty stomach, even while his mom looks for work.
“It’s been hard. Without this food bank, I don’t know where my family and I would be,” Margaret said.