Community FoodBank of New Jersey

?? Exciting news! Please join us in welcoming two new members to CFBNJ's Board of Directors - Dr. Josh Ardise of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and Jason Read of Wawa, Inc. We're thrilled that their passion and expertise will help guide as we work towards our strategic goals for years to come.?

Did you know? 1 in 9 veterans in the U.S. is food insecure. Low incomes, trouble finding work, and physical and mental impacts of their time in the military are some of the most common reasons why they may struggle to put food on the table. Our friends at WCBS | CBS New York visited CFBNJ and one of our partner senior box sites in honor of #VeteransDay to help shed light on this critical issue.

Happy #VeteransDay! Today, we pause to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of the extraordinary individuals who have served in the armed forces. At CFBNJ, we are proud to have team members among us who have made this sacrifice. Their courage, dedication, and selflessness have safeguarded our nation and continue to inspire and strengthen our work here at the FoodBank. Please take a moment to help us extend a special salute to our CFBNJ veterans!

CFBNJ President & CEO Elizabeth McCarthy, along with three of our staff and board members who live in Summit, accepted a Mayoral Proclamation from Summit Mayor Elizabeth Fagan last night in honor and memory of CFBNJ Founder Kathleen DiChiara. The document declares 11/6/24 Kathleen DiChiara Day. Kathleen was a long-time resident of Summit and began her lifetime of service there when she organized a weekly food collection at her church. CFBNJ is honored by this meaningful tribute to her legacy.

It's Turkey Time here at CFBNJ! This November, we'll distribute 85,000 turkeys, roasters, and hams to neighbors in need, along with 25,000 holiday boxes of festive fixings. NJ Spotlight News visited our warehouse recently to see our freezer packed full of Thanksgiving food and interview CFBNJ President & CEO Elizabeth McCarthy.

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey is grateful for the financial and food donations and unwavering support Wakefern Food Corp. and ShopRite provide each year for our Women Fighting Hunger Luncheon in North Jersey. ? A retailer-owned supermarket cooperative made up of family-owned businesses, Wakefern is one of CFBNJ’s strongest allies with a long commitment to helping neighbors in need and addressing food insecurity. Wakefern represents families serving families.

With heavy hearts, we mourn the passing of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey's beloved founder, Kathleen DiChiara, who gave hope to countless people as she dared to dream of a hunger-free Garden State. Kathleen was a passionate humanitarian, a captivating leader, and a caring friend. She passed away on October 11 surrounded by her family. Kathleen's lifetime of service began in the early 1970s, when she organized the Loaves and Fishes food collection at her church. In 1975, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey was born when she started giving out food from the back of her station wagon in downtown Newark. Under her exemplary leadership as Executive Director until 2015, she propelled our organization towards its mission of ensuring that everyone in New Jersey - at all times - has enough to eat. Her compassion and dedication to helping those in need knew no bounds and extended beyond her leadership of CFBNJ. Kathleen's visionary approach focused on holistic solutions to food insecurity and poverty. She designed and implemented programs that have been replicated by food banks nationwide. She also helped start the National Diaper Bank Network when she learned that food insecure families were struggling to afford diapers. During her incredible life, Kathleen was recognized by three U.S. Presidents, three governors of New Jersey, and even the Pope. She was a 2013 inductee of the New Jersey Hall of Fame and received eight honorary doctorates from colleges and universities in New York and New Jersey. Kathleen will be greatly missed. Please join us in honoring her legacy. Her family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations are made to CFBNJ: give.cfbnj.org/Kathleen

Today is #NationalFarmersDay, a time to honor the hard-working people who dedicate their lives to feeding and supplying a nation - like Jose. Jose Constantino was just 9 years old when he started his new life in the U.S. – and when he decided what he would do with it. “I’ve always wanted to be a farmer,” he said. Jose’s family lived on a farm when they first immigrated from Mexico. As kids, he and his brother Salvador loved helping the farmer and learning everything they could. Jose worked on several different farms across South Jersey before taking a break to become a truck driver. But the great outdoors, hard work, and satisfaction of growing fresh, nutritious food called him back to where he belongs. “I enjoy the freedom. I enjoy the sun and being outside,” Jose reflected. He and his brother returned to farming together in the sprawling fields of a 70-acre property. When the farmer passed away about six years ago, Jose and Salvador purchased the land, and J&S Brothers Farms was born. Today, the business is a family affair. Jose and Salvador’s two sisters supervise the harvest, while their nephews drive the tractors. "When it's family out here, you know they're backing you up. They're looking out for you,” Jose said. J&S Brothers grows everything from seedless watermelons and cantaloupes to jalapenos and pickles. And critical to the farm’s success is the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement (LFPA), a statewide, USDA-funded program that CFBNJ administers. The FoodBank uses LFPA funds from the NJDA to buy food from socially disadvantaged farmers and producers for distribution in underserved communities in all 21 New Jersey counties. Because of LFPA, J&S Brothers planted twice as many crops this year to help CFBNJ provide even more fresh produce to struggling neighbors. “LFPA is a great way to get the product out there to people who need it,” Jose said. Being both Latino-owned and a relatively new name in the industry, J&S Brothers is among the socially disadvantaged farms that LFPA seeks to support. Jose and Salvador have worked hard to build their reputation and show that they can provide high quality fruits and vegetables. "It gives us an opportunity to level the playing field a little bit because, at the end of the day, it is harder for disadvantaged farmers,” Jose told us. Jose and Salvador hope that LFPA will continue far into the future. The program has supported their business by helping them pay their bills and get fair prices for their products. “The LFPA program might be one of the reasons that we’re still farming this year. When stuff goes for far below the prices we need to get, the FoodBank helps us out by giving us reasonable prices,” Jose shared. “It’s definitely made a difference.”

?? New career, BIG difference! There's room for you here at the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. We're hiring in several departments across the organization. CFBNJ employees receive medical, dental, vision, and mental health benefits, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, and 401k matching. #TalentTuesday Apply today: cfbnj.org/careers

Join us in wishing all the best of luck to Karen Leies, our Chief of External Affairs, as she moves on from CFBNJ to her next great opportunity as CEO of The Seeing Eye! Though we're sad to see her go, we're so proud of all she's accomplished in her eight years at the FoodBank. Fortunately, this isn't truly goodbye. Karen will stay involved as one of CFBNJ's Women Fighting Hunger volunteers. Congratulations, Karen! And special thanks to The Artist Baker for the fun CFBNJ and Seeing Eye branded cookies to celebrate!