TOMS RIVER – Thanksgiving becomes the time when we not only give thanks for what we have, but we give to those who don’t have as much.
The Hope Center at the Presbyterian Church of Toms River on Hooper Avenue has various services that they provide, and their client count is increasing quickly.
Last year, they gave out 278,000 pounds of food to 25,136 households, said executive director Amy VanBezooijen. This year, they are on track to donate 350,000 pounds of food to between 30,000-35,000 households.
Note that a household often means more than one person, so 25,000 could actually mean 50,000 to 100,000 individuals who need food in the area.
“There are people who never ever had to seek out supportive services,” she said. Their reserves were exhausted during the pandemic. After the pandemic, the cost of living has continued to increase and they never were able to get a foothold.
The church is across the street from the county’s social services department, so they get a lot of traffic from that area, she said. They also direct clients to other agencies that they collaborate with.
Their food pantry is open on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10-11:45 a.m. and again from 1-2:45 p.m. People are urged to bring their identification and a bag if they have one.
If You Need Help
If you need help, you are encouraged to call 732-341-4447. They will talk about what services you might need, beyond food, VanBezooijen said. If no one picks up the phone, leave a message and someone will get back to you as soon as possible.
There is also a Pop the Trunk event every Friday morning run by a different organization. Cars line up around the building for a distribution beginning at around 8 a.m. Bags of food are given out until supplies run out between 10-10:30 a.m., said one of the organizers, Terrence Turnbach.
Photo by Chris Lundy
He noted that people picking up food are not asked for identification or any other questions other than how many people are being fed.
If You Want To Help
The Hope Center is open to donations of food, money or time. You can find out more about them by calling 732-341-4447.
Those who receive a free turkey from grocery stores, for example, can drop them off for people in need. VanBezooijen asked that you call the center in advance so they know you’re coming.
On November 15, they are giving out Thanksgiving packages which includes turkeys and the fixings. They will still be taking donations of turkeys after that, though.
They also welcome donations of canned fruits and vegetables as well as stuffing, instant mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. They don’t take fresh produce because there are issues with that. Desserts like cake mix and frosting or boxes of cookies are “like a luxury for our families,” VanBezooijen said. “They complete the meal.”
Their ability to help others is made easier by the contributions from local residents.
“We are a conduit of the generosity of our community,” she said.
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