The Interfaith Food Pantry of the Oranges (IFPO) has been experiencing record demand for services, now regularly assisting 320-345 families each week. We are planning for 500 clients for our November 27 Thanksgiving distribution and 350 for our December 18 Christmas distribution. We anticipate reaching more than 3,000 individuals in those two days of holiday pantry distributions, and additional individuals through other holiday programs.  

The IFPO has a variety of ways you, your family, and your friends can get involved for "ThankServing." Many options are listed below. 

 

While we generally welcome walk-in volunteers, and we appreciate that there is tremendous interest in helping during the holiday season, we must limit volunteers for our Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday events due to safety and fire code regulations, and to ensure that everyone has a positive experience. In order to volunteer at IFPO events at the Church of the Epiphany and Christ Church on

Sunday November 24 and Wednesday November 27,  you must sign up in advance   through the links below. 

Advance sign up for the Christmas distribution (sign up required) on Wednesday December 18 will open after Thanksgiving.

The IFPO is looking to collect 1,000 new and gently used, good-condition winter coats in both adult and child sizes. We are not seeking winter accessories this year.

Why donate a coat? Read Lily's story.

Donations can be brought locally to:

--- Congregation Beth El   during office hours, for collection by the Sisterhood, until November 22. There is a donation box by the main office;

--- Christ Church (Short Hills)  and  Congregation B'nai Jeshurun (TBJ)  from Nov. 1 until Sunday, November 24 at 11:30 am;

--- Coldwell Banker Realty, 151 Maplewood Ave., Maplewood, until November 22 - attention Shayna Schmidt or Amy Paternite;

--- Keller Williams: The Sue Adler Team, 518 Millburn Ave, Short Hills, until November 22.

---Keller Williams: The Saritte Harel Team, 518 Millburn Ave, Short Hills, until November 22.

---or to  Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel  on Sunday, November 24 ONLY between 8:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. 

Coats may also be brought to our host site Church of the Epiphany and Christ Church, 105 Main Street, Orange on Sunday, November 24 ONLY from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Additional public coat drop locations will be noted on our  website as they may become available.  

Individual and group drives last year were wonderful coat sources for us. Can your business host a coat drive for us? Would you like to personally host a drive for family and friends, your neighborhood or organization? Reach out if we can be of assistance with your efforts: [email protected]   or 973.856.4000

Donated coats will be distributed to IFPO clients as part of our Wednesday November 27 Thanksgiving event. 

The IFPO will again partner with our host congregation, the Church of the Epiphany and Christ Church, to provide food for a festive, hot Thanksgiving lunch for members of the Church and our clients. The Church expects to serve lunch to 500 people again this year.

Volunteers are needed to prepare and deliver hot, cooked food - homemade or store-bought - to the Church on Saturday, November 23 between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm. A very limited number of volunteer slots are available for those who are also donating hot food.  Click for complete details and to sign up. 

Can you donate a frozen turkey? We need 500 again this year! On Sunday, November 24 only , you can deliver frozen, never thawed , turkeys to:

  

Christ Church  (Short Hills)  from 9:00 am to 11:30 am; 

Congregtion B'nai Jeshurun(TBJ)  from 9:00 am to 11:30 am; and

Temple Sharey Tefilio-Israel  (TSTI) f rom 8:30 am to 12:00 pm.

The TSTI location (432 Scotland Road, South Orange) will also accept donations that morning of unopened, unexpired, and non-perishable food (cans and hard plastic packing only), as well as non-perishable Thanksgiving groceries (canned sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, turkey gravy, canned vegetables, mac and cheese, stuffing).

At the conclusion of the turkey collections on Sunday, November 24, vehicles from each of our partner congregations will caravan to the Church of the Epiphany and Christ Church, 105 Main Street, Orange, for "Pantry Prep"-- to unload and sort the food and coats in preparation for Wednesday's distribution, and to place all frozen turkeys we've collected in a single truck.

Volunteers are needed between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm at the Church. This is a very physical day. Responsible children age 12+ and up only are welcome to accompany a parent to help. In order to volunteer at this event at the Church on Sunday November 24,  you must sign up in advance  through the link below. 

Click to volunteer via Sign Up Genius. 

Over 100 volunteers are needed to organize and fill grocery bags, distribute turkeys & pies, and help clients select winter coats. While we generally welcome walk-in volunteers,  to help on Wednesday November 27 you MUST be pre-registered.

  Click to volunteer via Sign Up Genius.

We will be unable to take walk-in volunteers on November 27 due to safety and fire code regulations, and to ensure everyone a positive volunteer experience that day.