NEPTUNE – A number of shore area food pantries and soup kitchens were recently provided donations from Fulfill that will help these organizations serve those who are experiencing food insecurity.
Fulfill awarded $128,000 in Capacity Grants to its Network Food Agencies this quarter, thanks to a grant from the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund and the Community Foundation of New Jersey.
Feeding agencies within the Fulfill network were permitted to apply for grant awards of up to $15,000.
These agencies requested a variety of items including commercial refrigerators, freezers, tables, shopping carts, shelving, electrical upgrades, meal containers, conveyer belts, laptops, portable heaters, printers, utility carts, a hydroponic gardening system, and a truck ramp. Other requests included a generator, gardening tools and beds, a gas stove, a van, snow shovels, flashlights, extension cords, a vacuum, and paint.
Grant applications were evaluated and approved by Fulfill’s Agency Partner Committee – comprised of board members, agency partners, and staff. Fulfill will purchase all appliances and equipment where possible to maximize purchasing power. Feeding agencies will receive checks for the balance of their awards.
Fullfill Chief Executive Officer and President Triada Stampas said, “Fulfill could not achieve its impact or reach without our network of nearly 300 feeding agencies – food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community distribution sites.”
“Our job as a food bank is to provide our network the support and resources to do their job better to serve communities in need. That’s why Fulfill continues to invest in the capacity of our pantry network,” Stampas added.
“It is critical for Fulfill to assist our pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters with the tools and resources to have the greatest reach,” Fulfill Board Member and Agency Partner Community Chair Alex Taylor added. “One of our agencies requested a hydroponic gardening system to grow vegetables, while another agency asked for gardening tools and beds, with assistance from Fulfill’s staff to get started. Both will provide produce for families in need for years to come! This is the kind of expansion that simply makes sense.”
The following Fulfill members will receive Fulfill Capacity Grants:
Brick Presbyterian – BrickCalico Cat Food Pantry – MiddletownCalvary Baptist Church – Little Egg HarborChrist Church – HowellChrist United Methodist Church – LakewoodColony of Mercy – WhitingDiscovery Institute –MarlboroGlad Tidings –Tinton FallsFirst Assembly of God Toms River – Toms RiverJackson Women – JacksonJesus is Lord – Toms RiverJewish Family Services – Asbury ParkLunch Break – Red BankMercy Center – Asbury ParkNew Egypt UMC – New EgyptOcean Gate Church Food Pantry – Ocean GateOcean Housing Alliance – Point Pleasant BeachPCTR – The Hope Center – Toms RiverProvidence Baptist Pantry – CliffwoodSephardic Bikur Holim Food Pantry – OakhurstSEARCH Day Program – OceanSixth Street Baptist –LakewoodSt. Luke’s – Long BranchSt. Luke’s – Toms RiverSt. Brigid – Long BranchSt. Dorothea – EatontownSt. John – LakehurstSt. Mark’s – KeansburgTrue Vine Pantry – BayvilleZichron Shneur Food Pantry – Lakewood
Pastor Rhetta Jackson of True Vine Pantry in Bayville remarked, “we are very grateful for the award to help us purchase a van. We will use the van to transport those who cannot drive for whatever reason to our pantry and our homeless site.”
Ninety-five cents of every dollar donated to Fulfill goes directly to feeding the hungry in the community. To donate or volunteer, visit fulfillnj.org. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.
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