FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nicole Williams, Communications Manager
nwilliams@cfbnj.org / 908-355-3663 ext. 282
STATEMENT FROM CARLOS M. RODRIGUEZ, PRESIDENT & CEO OF THE COMMUNITY FOODBANK OF NEW JERSEY, ON
THE FOODBANK’S COVID-19 RESPONSE
CFBNJ Prepares to Address Additional Need Caused by the Pandemic
HILLSIDE, NJ—March 16, 2020
Many of our neighbors in need are already feeling the economic impact of COVID-19, while others find themselves struggling perhaps for the first time. In this difficult and unpredictable situation, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey has been working closely with state and national partners to utilize the current resources that are available and to plan for additional services that may be needed to assist those impacted by this crisis in the days, weeks and months ahead.
Continued support is needed for those we serve, now more than ever. With your help, CFBNJ is working to ensure access to nutritious food for vulnerable individuals and families and to meet the additional need that is likely to arise due to the virus. We are also working to create emergency meal kits with nonperishable proteins, vegetables, pasta, pasta sauce, cereal and snack items–enough food to sustain a family for several days. CFBNJ’s dedicated staff can produce up to 850 of these kits per day–a total of 34,000 nutritious meals daily.
It will take the goodness and generosity of others to truly make a difference in the lives of struggling New Jerseyans during the pandemic. As New Jersey residents begin their quarantine, we ask that they reflect on the situation, think of those who will be most affected, and consider making a donation to CFBNJ to help play a direct role in our emergency hunger relief efforts. Just $1 provides three nutritious meals during this critical time and all year long.
We thank our great state and its residents for their ongoing support, and we encourage those who find themselves in need to visit cfbnj.org/findfood, where they can find which of our more than 1,000 agency partners is closest to them.
For more information on how CFBNJ acts as a resource during the COVID-19 crisis, please visit cfbnj.org/coronavirus.
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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 45 years. Last year, CFBNJ provided nutritious food for over 50 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.