Helping to meet essential human needs of food-insecure residents of Orange, East Orange, and West Orange, NJ, with dignity and respect |
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A proud member of the MEND network of food pantries and a proud partner with the
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New Volunteer Opportunities |
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With summer here, bringing vacations and schedule changes, we're finding ourselves short on volunteers (but not on client visits)! If you (or your kids age 14 and older) can help out, please check out our SignUpGenius for volunteer opportunities.
We are counting on you to keep the shift you sign up for.
If you need to cancel within 48 hours of your shift, please call/text at 973-856-4000 so we can find a replacement quickly. With limited space in the warehouse, and many clients to serve each pantry day, we count on your presence so that each shift can meet specific goals and complete assigned tasks.
We update our SignUpGenius throughout the month as our needs for volunteers change. Please check back periodically to look for new opportunities.
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We've come to expect that each month will be very busy, and our four pantry day month of June was no exception. We distributed an all-time high of 2,162 sets of groceries to 834 unique clients, with average of 540 each pantry day. Diapers were distributed for 301 babies in June. Thank you to Children's Aid and Family Services for delivering 69 extra large cases of diapers - our June & July allocations.
We distributed over 1,500 hearty produce boxes our first three pantry days, with produce courtesy of our partner Community FoodBank of New Jersey. For our June 29 distribution, we purchased cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, potatoes, and bananas. We also gave out a dozen eggs for each client as well as Bakedsome pita to walkers and delivery clients.
We distributed our fifth breakfast bag this month to 350 clients with children under 18 as part of the Nourishing Neighbors grant receive from Kings Food Markets Foundation. This hearty bag contained 2 pairs of donated Bombas socks as well as granola bars, 8 shelf-stable yogurts, pancake mix, and canned applesauce.
We are indebted to our partner CFBNJ for continuing to provide ever larger quantities of food to us at no cost during the continuing pandemic.
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Our diabetes program clients attend an education class on the third pantry day of every month, which includes a fun component encouraging movement for a healthy lifestyle. |
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Summit Health Cares was on site twice this month. They did blood screening for current diabetes program participants, and screened possible participants for cohort 5 of the program (to begin in the fall).
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We're happy to have community partners on site each week to provide our clients with easy access to support services for which they may qualify. |
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Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center offered clients blood pressure screenings and information about stroke prevention this month. |
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Our participation in the USDA program means our clients get choices of items like chicken, shrimp, cheese or pork roasts one week each month. |
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Our partner MEND provided 450 dozen eggs as well as tomatoes and lettuce for distribution this month.
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What a wonderful treat to have fresh vegetables from the Millburn Community Garden to give out! We welcome your donation of home grown produce. |
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We were thrilled to have NJ Community Research Initiative at pantry on June 29 to provide vaccines and boosters to clients (including the newly approved vaccine for children 6 months and up). IFPO Board member Andy Soloway realized this was the perfect opportunity to easily get his booster shot! We're still giving out ShopRite gift cards as a client vaccine incentive.
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Lots of children accompany their parents to pantry. |
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We provide snacks to children on the walkup line. |
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Thanks to our grant from Kings Food Markets Foundation’s fundraising campaign, we gave out 350 hearty Nourishing Neighbors breakfast bags on June 29, our fifth such distribution. These bags
contained a flyer with information regarding locations to get Covid vaccinations for children ages 6 months to 5 years, in light of the CDC's recent approval of these vaccines.
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Clothing and Household Donations Requested for Epiphany and Christ Church |
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Epiphany and Christ Church, our pre-pandemic location for many years, has asked for our help as they continue to serve their local community. They are seeking donations of gently used clothing and shoes for children and adults and household items (pots and pans, housewares, bed linens, small appliances like toasters or coffeemakers. No furniture or anything big and bulky). These items are distributed at their Saturday food pantry.
DROP OFF LOCATION:
Church of Epiphany and Christ Church, 105 Main Street, Orange. (Enter the building at the back of the parking lot into Parish Hall).
DROP-OFF TIMES:
Mondays thru Thursdays, 9 am- 2 pm and Saturdays, 9 am-1:30 pm.
LAST DATE TO DONATE:
Saturday, July 30th.
Questions? Call EACC at 973-629-7713
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Updates for Orange and East Orange |
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We continued to ensure that thousands of pounds of food were made available through our partner The Community FoodBank of NJ (CFBNJ) for direct distribution by the cities of Orange and East Orange this month. Orange received over 22,000 pounds of food (including a terrific last minute delivery of a pallet each of peaches and fresh milk, plus 20 cases of chicken), as well as two distributions of 8 pallets of produce boxes. East Orange received over 36,000 pounds of food this month, including over 230 gallons of fresh milk and 800 pounds of chicken, as well as produce.
We are beyond thankful for all the extraordinary efforts made by CFBNJ to constantly ensure this flow of food to the two communities.
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We post pictures on Facebook as the IFPO continues in action. Follow us on Facebook to see all the great weekly happenings!
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The Interfaith Food Pantry of the Oranges is an equal opportunity provider. |
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