Our Story at CFBNJ
The Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ), a member of Feeding America®, is the leading anti-hunger and anti-poverty organization in the state. Kathleen DiChiara started CFBNJ in the back of her station wagon in 1975. In 1982, she established CFBNJ as a nonprofit corporation with a staff of five in Newark. Over the years, the expansion to two warehouses and a fleet of trucks assisted in distributing food and groceries.
Today, CFBNJ provides food for more than 90 million meals annually and provides wrap-around services like job training, SNAP outreach, nutrition education, and hygiene product distribution. The organization has a 285,000-square-foot warehouse in Hillside and a South Jersey location in Egg Harbor Township.
The State of Hunger in New Jersey
Over 33 Million people in the US are food insecure. Over 725,000 of them live right here in New Jersey. More than 175,000 of them are children. When they don’t have enough food to eat, they can suffer direct and dramatic effects on their physical development and mental well-being.
Food insecurity exists in every county across the United States, from the poorest neighborhoods to the most affluent. Parents skip meals so they can feed their children, seniors choose between buying medicine and food, and students decide between their education and food. These tough choices are an unfortunate reality for many of our New Jersey neighbors.
The good news is that hunger is solvable if we work together.
of New Jerseyans are food insecure
of children in New Jersey are food insecure
of Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland County residents face hunger
of kids in South Jersrey face hunger
How CFBNJ Helps Hungry Neighbors
We package food orders for local soup kitchens and food pantries; we purchase and collect food for distribution; help people in need through SNAP application assistance; reach communities with limited resources with mobile pantries; and encourage others to get involved. Last year, we distributed food for over 90 million meals (more than 108 million pounds). We address hunger as a health issue by providing more fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and medical screenings to inspire positive lifestyles. Community members from all walks of life engage in our mission through volunteer opportunities resulting in nearly 34,000 volunteer visits last year-equivalent to the work of about 42 full-time employees.
CFBNJ’s mission is to fight hunger and poverty in New Jersey by assisting those in need and seeking long-term solutions. We will engage, educate, and empower all sectors of society in the battle. We advance this mission during times of relative calm and during periods of upheaval. We are so grateful for your support in this fight.
More About Kathleen DiChiara, CFBNJ Founder
Kathleen has received numerous awards, including recognition from three Presidents, three Governors of New Jersey, and even the Pope. She is also a 2013 inductee of the New Jersey Hall of Fame. Among the more than 200 executive directors of Feeding America members, Kathleen was selected as the recipient of the John van Hengel Fellow Award for her vision and leadership of one of the most productive food banks in the country. During her more than 35 years of involvement in distributing food to people in need, she designed and implemented programs to alleviate hunger and poverty that have been replicated by food banks nationwide.
Kathleen has a BS in Education from the State University of New York at Oneonta and eight honorary doctorates from colleges and universities in New Jersey and New York.
