The average food price has skyrocketed due to corona virus pandemic and recent events. The FAO Food Price Index has saw a fresh record high of nearly 160 points.
A shocking 60% price increase over the 2014-2016 base period shows that hunger is a public health issue of critical importance.
The most vulnerable demographic of society is taking the brunt of this economic pressure. Now more than ever, low-income families must rely on New Jersey Free Clinics, New Jersey Food Stamps, and food banks.
This guide will list helpful information about Food Bank in Somerset County, New Jersey and organizations that can help curb hunger, how you can use their services and where to find them.
What is a Food Bank?
Food banks are non-profit charitable organizations that assist financially vulnerable populations by distributing food. Their main objectives is to help low-income individual and families by providing food.
They will work through other 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations like food pantries and soup kitchens. Sometimes they distribute the food themselves via mobile pantry.
Food Bank in Somerset County, New Jersey serves as a single collection and distribution point for food donations. They operate much like a for-profit food distributor, but they do not use retailers. Instead, they may use church food banks, charities, and other non-profit food pantries to provide food to the people to fight hunger.
How the Food Bank Works?
- 1. Food is donated to a food bank.
- 2. Its stored in a big climate controlled warehouse.
- 3. Food Bank in Somerset County, New Jersey distributes food to various non-profits for distribution.
- 4. Food reaches to who are in need.
Who can use Food Banks?
Many Food Bank in Somerset County, New Jersey and food pantries are locally run, with others managed at the state or federal level. Qualification to receive nutrition assistance from food programs depends on the type.
There are different qualifying requirements, but many food banks have none. Just show up during their days and times of operation, and they will help if they are able.
Here are the tips while .
- It is highly advisable to call ahead before you arrive!
- Ask about any eligibility or documentation requirements they may have.
- If required, bring all required documents when you use their services.
Second Harvest Food Bank
Second Harvest Food Bank was the first one established in California in 1972 and is the second oldest in the US. It operates multiple distribution centers across the United States.
Impact of Second Harvest Food Bank is huge, It helps 85,000 Santa Cruz residents avoid missing meals and empty stomachs.
Second Harvest Food Bank in Somerset County, New Jersey is easing the burden of impossible choices for families between food, housing, medicine, and other necessities.
St. Mary's Food Bank
The St. Mary's Food Bank was a first local food bank ever established in the United States in 1967. The St. Mary's Food Bank mission is food security and hunger relief for all Americans.
The St. Mary's distributes millions of pounds of food to the hungry each year, It also operates its own food pantries to allow allow people to access food directly from their warehouses.
It also offer specialized after-school programs for kids and career training for adults.
Church Food Bank Food Bank in Somerset County, New Jersey
Church Food Bank Food Bank in Somerset County, New Jersey serve a hot, nutritious lunch 365 days a year, even in the face of terrible weather and ever-increasing demand.
Church Food Bank welcome anyone who is in need of a meal, regardless of the person's circumstance, with no questions asked. It also provide showers, laundry, mail, I.D. assistance and other essential services.
Metro Park A.G. Church Food Bank
Metro Park A.G. Church is a registered food bank in Woodbridge Township. It is our goal to help the people our communities in their time of need. Last Thursday of the Month, 7pm - 8:30pm. 3rd Thursday in November & December. Pick up only.
Services provided :
- Prepared Foods
- Fresh Produce
- After School Snacks
- Senior Meal Delivery
- Emergency Box
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (732) 283-3440 to book your appointment.
Address :
48 Berkley Blvd,
Iselin, NJ 08830.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Iselin
Help Residents of Counties:
- Middlesex
- Passaic
- Union
- Morris
- Essex
- Bergen
- Hudson
- Somerset
- Monmouth
- Hunterdon
- Mercer
Feeding America
John van Hengel, the founder of St. Mary's Food Bank, went on to create a national organization for food banks. The Feeding America organization is a leader in the nation's domestic hunger-relief efforts.
The Coronavirus epidemic put even more pressure on America's most vulnerable citizens. Feeding America has helped serve 6.6 billion meals to date.
The Feeding America have grown through donations and other charitable efforts to be able to deliver much-needed food via food rescue, hunger relief programs, and disaster response.
The Salvation Army - Red Bank Corps
Services provided :
- Prepared Foods
- Fresh Produce
- After School Snacks
- Senior Meal Delivery
- Emergency Box
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (732) 747-1626 to book your appointment.
Address :
180 Newman Springs Rd,
Red Bank, NJ 07701.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
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Help Residents of Counties:
- Middlesex
- Union
- Essex
- Hudson
- Somerset
- Bergen
- Monmouth
- Mercer
- Ocean
- Morris
The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, Inc.
The FoodBank began in 1984 when three people saw hunger at the Jersey shore and decided to make a difference. They purchased a small, dilapidated warehouse in Spring Lake. Carpenters, masons and other members of the community donated work, office furniture and supplies. Food streamed in from hundreds of donors. After one year, the FoodBank was serving 25 charities with 100,000 pounds of food. Ten years later, nearly two million pounds of food was being distributed annually from the same small warehouse. Bursting at the seams, the FoodBank undertook a capital campaign in 1998 to construct a new facility in Neptune. Three years later, the current 40,000 sq. ft facility became a reality. Today, the FoodBank serves over 260 pantries, soup kitchens and other feeding programs with over 8 million pounds of food distributed annually. The FoodBank also operates a Culinary Training Program for people in need of better-paid jobs, a Kids Café and Backpack program for children, a Mobile Pantry, and Food Stamp Outreach Program. With the help of roughly 1,000 volunteers each year, the FoodBank’s programs are truly a community effort, working to eliminate hunger by providing emergency food, skills training, outreach programs and advocacy for families in need.
Services provided :
- Prepared Foods
- Fresh Produce
- After School Snacks
- Senior Meal Delivery
- Emergency Box
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (732) 918-2600 to book your appointment.
Address :
3300 Route 66,
Neptune, NJ 07753.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Neptune
Help Residents of Counties:
- Middlesex
- Union
- Monmouth
- Burlington
- Mercer
- Ocean
- Somerset
Community Food Bank of New Jersey
The Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ), a member of Feeding America, distributes food, provides education and training, develops programs to help hungry people throughout the state, and engages all sectors of society in this mission. Since our incorporation in 1982, we have grown in both the size and scope of our operation. Each year we and our partners feed 900,000 hungry people. With the help of so many caring individuals, corporations, foundations, houses of worship, schools and community groups, we have distributed almost 500 million pounds of food valued at roughly one billion dollars. With your help we give hungry people in New Jersey FOOD. HELP. HOPE.
Services provided :
- Prepared Foods
- Fresh Produce
- After School Snacks
- Senior Meal Delivery
- Emergency Box
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (908) 355-3663 to book your appointment.
Address :
31 Evans Terminal Rd,
Hillside, NJ 07205.
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Hours Of Operations :
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Hillside
Help Residents of Counties:
- Middlesex
- Passaic
- Union
- Morris
- Essex
- Bergen
- Hudson
- Somerset
- Monmouth
- Hunterdon
- Sussex
Christian Fellowship Center Community Food Bank
Christian Fellowship Center Community Food Bank provides food to all individuals and families who need assistance. It also supports families during emergencies with food and clothing. The community food bank operates from the multipurpose building adjacent to the church and serves the Paterson and Passaic County community. FOOD BANK HOURS OF OPERATION: Every Third Tuesday of the Month, Hours are 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm Unless otherwise told.
Services provided :
- Prepared Foods
- Fresh Produce
- After School Snacks
- Senior Meal Delivery
- Emergency Box
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (973) 742-2334 to book your appointment.
Address :
343-359 Van Houten St,
Paterson, NJ 07501.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
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- Sun:
Help Residents of Cities:
- Paterson
Help Residents of Counties:
- Middlesex
- Passaic
- Union
- Morris
- Essex
- Bergen
- Hudson
- Sussex
- Somerset
- Warren
- Hunterdon
NORWESCAP Food Bank
The Food Bank is dedicated to ending hunger and reducing food waste by soliciting, storing and distributing donated food and other products to charitable organizations. The Food Bank is a subsidiary of the Feeding America Food Bank Network which distributes donations of surplus food from food manufacturers, wholesalers, distribution centers and food brokers. The Food Bank also distributes USDA commodities to member shelters, soup kitchens, and emergency food pantries. The Food Bank encourages and assists local groups, schools, churches, clubs and corporations to conduct food drives to help end hunger.
Services provided :
- Prepared Foods
- Fresh Produce
- After School Snacks
- Senior Meal Delivery
- Emergency Box
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (908) 454-4322 to book your appointment.
Address :
201 N Broad St,
Phillipsburg, NJ 08865.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
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Help Residents of Cities:
- Phillipsburg
Help Residents of Counties:
- Hunterdon
- Morris
- Sussex
- Somerset
- Warren
- Mercer
Food Bank Network of Somerset County - Main Warehouse
The mission of The Food Bank Network is to distribute food and to provide other basic human needs to those less fortunate in our community in a manner recognizing and advancing self-worth and human dignity. Working through food pantries located in Somerville, Bound Brook and North Plainfield, and a warehouse in Bridgewater, our goal is to help create the opportunity for each person to become selfsufficient. The Foodbank Network works with Somerset County residents referred by other county agencies, such as the Board of Social Services, Food Stamps, Alternatives, Richard Hall, S.H.I.P., Catholic Charities, Group Home, United Way, Home-Sharing, D.Y.F.S., and Agape House. To do this, the Food Bank Network counts of the support of staff members, a volunteer board of directors, and countless volunteers across the county who give their time and their donations to the Network to help us continue to work towards our goals.
Services provided :
- Prepared Foods
- Fresh Produce
- After School Snacks
- Senior Meal Delivery
- Emergency Box
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (732) 560-1813 to book your appointment.
Address :
9 Easy St Apt E,
Bridgewater, NJ 08807.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
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- Tues:
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- Sat:
- Sun:
Help Residents of Cities:
- Bridgewater
Help Residents of Counties:
- Middlesex
- Union
- Morris
- Essex
- Hudson
- Bergen
- Passaic
- Somerset
- Monmouth
- Hunterdon
- Mercer
- Burlington
- Warren
- Sussex
Franklin Food Bank
The Mission of the Franklin Food Bank is to enhance the quality of life for Franklin Township residents in need by providing food assistance in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. We act as the conduit between those who have food and/or funds to spare and share and those in who need to put food on their table. Simply stated, we are a group of community-minded and caring people, giving limited emergency help to some of our neighbors who are temporarily in need of something as basic as food!
Services provided :
- Prepared Foods
- Fresh Produce
- After School Snacks
- Senior Meal Delivery
- Emergency Box
Appointments :
You can privately and easily book your appointment online for select services 24/7. For the full set of services, you can call (732) 246-0009 to book your appointment.
Address :
60 Millstone Rd,
Somerset, NJ 08873.
Get Directions
Hours Of Operations :
- Mon:
- Tues:
- Wed:
- Thurs:
- Fri:
- Sat:
- Sun:
Help Residents of Cities:
- Somerset
Help Residents of Counties:
- Middlesex
- Union
- Morris
- Essex
- Bergen
- Hudson
- Passaic
- Somerset
- Monmouth
- Hunterdon
- Burlington
- Mercer
- Warren
- Ocean
- Sussex
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federally run program that helps obtain badly needed food for low-income people and families. SNAP program is also known as Food Stamp.
SNAP benefits in Somerset County supplied approximately 40 million Americans in 2018. It is the most extensive nutrition program administered by Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) and is a vital component of the social safety net for low-income Americans.
In 2017, roughly 9.2% of American households obtained SNAP benefits, with about 16.7% of all children living in homes benefiting.
The program had used paper "stamps" or coupons in the past – worth $1 (brown), $5 (blue), and $10 (green). These were bound into small booklets of various denominations, to be torn out individually and used in single-use exchanges.
Free Food Programs Summary
| Acronym | Name | For Moms & Kids | For Seniors | For Food Bank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNAP | Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program | Yes | Yes | No |
| TEFAP | The Emergency Food Assistance Program | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| CSFP | The Commodity Supplemental Food Program | No | Yes | Yes |
| CACFP | The Child and Adult Care Food Program | Yes | Yes | No |
| NSLP | The National School Lunch Program | Yes | No | No |
| SBP | The School Breakfast Program | Yes | No | No |
| SFSP | The Summer Food Service Program | Yes | No | No |
| WIC | Women, Infants, and Children | Yes | No | No |
FAQ(Frequently Asked Questions)
1. What is the difference between a food bank and a food pantry?
Independent community food pantries are self-governing and usually distribute food to their clients on a once-a-month basis. A food bank is the storehouse for millions of pounds of food and other products that go out to the community. A food pantry functions as the arms that reach out to that community directly.
2. What kind of food is at a food Bank?
Specifically, Somerset County food banks often need items like:
- Peanut butter
- Canned soup
- Canned fruit
- Canned vegetables
- Pasta
- Canned beans
- Canned stew
- Canned fish
3. How do you qualify for Somerset County food bank assistance?
To qualify for food bank assistance you must provide:
- Current state-issued ID
- Social Security numbers of all household members
- Current electric bill to prove residence
- Bank Statement for income verification