RealSource in Waldwick, Advent Lutheran Church and Pearson Education \donated school supplies to the CFA’s Mahwah site in an effort to help the clients offset the cost of these items. Volunteers Tasheen and Burhan Khawaja sorted the supplies by grade to make it easier for parent to select the age appropriate items.
"The NJCB is currently partnering with the Center For Food Action (CFA) to help fight hunger and homelessness this summer season. The bank is currently collecting nonperishable food items at all of its branch locations and will hand deliver the donations to local CFA sites."- NJCB website
Learn more www.njcb.com
Marta Gonzalez, Branch Manager, and Victoria Staats, Head Teller, of the Lemoine Avenue, Fort Lee Branch served up some lemonade to clients and prospects to beat the heat. It was a great way for clients to learn about NJCB's Totally Free Checking as well as NJCB's Food Drive to benefit The Center for Food Action.
Dr. & Mrs. Rajinder P. Gandhi raised over $10,000 for CFA at their 35th wedding anniversary celebration. Guests gave donations to CFA instead of gifts.
(l-r) Stephanie McCaw, CFA Finance Manager, Dr. Gandhi and Patricia Espy, CFA Executive Director.
The Englewood PBA 216 hosted a fundraising event for CFA at the Smoke Chophouse & Cigar Emporium on Grand Ave. (l-r) Diane Braun, Manager of Chophouse & Cigar Emporium, Englewood Det. Matt de la Rosa & President of Englewood PBA 216, and Jennifer Rothman, CFA.
CFA's Will Eason and Rabbi Steven Golden sorting the fresh produce.
Hazon CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) at the Kapen JCC on the Palisades is partnering with Ted and Annemarie Stephens of Stephens Farm in Sussex, NJ to bring fresh produce to CFA every Thursday.
For more information please go to the Upcoming & Current Events page
Cresskill-Demarest Rotary donates to the Center for Food Action
Frank Conover, VP of North Jersey Community Bank and Rotary Treasurer, Thelma Fedele, and Aubrey McDonald, President of the Rotary Club.
The Community Chest Serving Englewood, Tenafly and Englewood Cliffs helps the
Center for Food Action provide nourishment and hope to the people of our community.
Rob Isackson, Community Chest, Harriet Tanner, Executive Director of the Community Chest Linda Reiter, Community Chest and Marc Oliff, Community Chest, presenting Jennifer Rothman, CFA, with a check for $5,268 that will go towards CFA's emergency food program.
Allendale Woman's Club donates $13,000 to CFA. The money was raised through the efforts of the woman's club in their biggest fundraiser of the year: "Fashion for Food".
The Englewood Teachers' Association(ETA) donated $1,600 that was collected by Englewood public school teachers to help those in need.
(l-r) Carmen DeEsposito, Christine Banas, CFA Executive Director
Patricia Espy, Peter Mecca and Ilene Sloan.
Telecom Support Specialists,Peter A. Reganato, President, Telecom Support Specialists donated funds to Patricia Espy, CFA Executive Director. Telecom Support Specialists have been long time supporters of CFA.
The Center for Food Action in New Jersey
The Center for Food Action (CFA) provides emergency food, rental and utility assistance, counseling, and advocacy to our neighbors in need in Bergen County and in the Upper Passaic Valley. In 2009, CFA will have distributed nearly $3 million worth of food-that’s nearly 50,000 emergency food packages-and helped 1,270 families stay in their homes and/or kept their heat and electric from being turned off.
CFA also operates the NJ Anti-Hunger Coalition (NJAHC). NJAHC serves as a clearinghouse for information, training and technical assistance to emergency food providers and works to end hunger in our state.
A Snapshot of CFA & Hunger News...
Englewood PBA makes donation to food center
The Community Chest provides important funding to CFA
At residential party the focus was food
Food pantry in need of supplies
Club launches food drive for Center for Food Action
Scouts dig up a lot of dirt in hopes of staving off hunger
Boiling Springs Savings Bank holds annual summer food drive
Food pantries see increase in bare shelves and hungry families
Ramsey market feeds the hungry
Anti-hunger advocates plea to restore Christie cuts to school breakfast, lunch programs
One dollar can make a world of difference
More NJ children relying on free lunches, even in suburbs
Join with the Center for Food Action and the
Russell Berrie Foundation
to Help Bergen County Residents
Put Food On Their Tables and Keep a Roof Over Their Head
In the past year, the Center for Food Action has seen a 40% increase of low-income Bergen County residents seeking assistance with help to pay their rent and utility bills. The Russell Berrie Foundation is providing critical financial support to the Center for Food Action (CFA) so that low-income families and seniors can put food on their tables, keep a roof over their heads, and get the counseling and advocacy needed to improve their lives during these difficult economic times. The Foundation carries on the values and passions of the late Russell Berrie who believed strongly in the value of community.
Over the past year, through two Community Stabilization Initiative (CSI) grants totaling $185,000, the Berrie Foundation has made it possible for CFA to give financial assistance to more than 150 households – more than 400 people – in order to prevent evictions, keep people warm in the winter months, and prevent the disconnection of utilities and pay security deposits for more affordable apartments. Thanks to this funding CFA has also been able to purchase fresh produce, eggs, meat, and kosher and ethnic foods. As importantly, CSI funding is helping CFA provide counseling and advocacy to the growing number of people seeking assistance and has permitted CFA to expand its hours of operation in order to better serve the needs of the working poor.
The past 16 months have been the busiest period in CFA’s 34 year history. In addition to the 40% increase in its homelessness prevention services, CFA has seen a 23% increase in people receiving seven-day emergency food packages. While CSI funding has played an important role in getting critical services to area residents, CFA now needs donations from individuals and civic groups in order to continue to aid the increasing number of people seeking assistance. CFA is asking caring members of the community to contribute now so that it can provide these vital services to those in need of a helping hand.
Without the funding provided by The Russell Berrie Foundation many families and seniors would not have gotten the help they needed. This funding has been a life-saver for many households. Now, additional support is needed to help local families and seniors who are struggling as a result of the current economy. Contributions can be made at CFA’s website www.cfanj.org or by calling 201-569-1804, ext. 25.
Englewood Hospital and Medical Center's Heart & Soul Music Fest
Join Englewood Hospital and Medical Center for a special night of health information & screening as it celebrates the African-American expereince through music and art.
A DAY AT THE CENTER FOR FOOD ACTION...
My kids are hungry. Can I come get a food package today?
Tammi made this call to the Center for Food Action on the fourth Monday of April. When she arrived at CFA later that day, she said that it had been a rough weekend because her unemployment check was insufficient to cover her rent and buy food. Tammi was in tears as she told CFA’s advocate that she had sent her children, Kendra and James, to school earlier that day without breakfast. She knew that she had to reach out for help and remembered that in better days, her children had taken food to the school for a drive that benefited CFA. Although she could barely believe that she was doing so, Tammi dialed CFA’s Englewood office asking for help. Thanks to the emergency food package Tammi picked up that afternoon, she was able to feed her family while waiting for her next unemployment check to arrive.
Our lights have been shut off; can you get them turned back on for us?
'We got behind on our utility bill when I lost my job', Pete told the volunteer who was answering the phone at CFA’s Elmwood Park site. Pete and his wife Maryanne had been struggling to make ends meet since he lost his job in January. They had used their savings to pay rent and Maryanne’s earnings from a part-time job allowed them to buy food and gas for the car but they had not been able to pay their utility bill. Now with their utilities disconnected, they turned to CFA. CFA made a $300 payment to PSE&G to get their services turned back on and with CFA providing a seven-day food package to the family, Pete and Maryanne were able to put another $150 toward the bill. As Pete picked up the food package, he promised CFA’s social worker that when he got a job he’d make a donation so that ‘CFA could keep the circle going’.
Neither Tammi nor Pete and Maryanne ever imagined they would require help to put food on their tables or keep their lights on. Many of those now turning to the Center for Food Action never thought they would be forced to seek emergency help to feed their families or pay their most basic expenses.
The current economic situation is taking a terrible toll on an ever increasing number of our neighbors. CFA’s client numbers started to climb in October and continued to rise steadily over the next several months. During the past three months, we have seen the number of people coming for food, utility and/or rental assistance soar. Your help is urgently needed so that CFA can provide the helping hand that so many of our neighbors currently need. Your contribution will make a huge difference.
Please, give as generously as you can. Your neighbors are counting on your help. Without your support, the Center for Food Action will not have sufficient resources to care for the thousands of people now seeking help. Mail your check to Center for Food Action, 192 W. Demarest Ave., Englewood, NJ 07631, or, call 201-569-1804, ext. 25 with a credit card, or make your gift via PayPal.
Food Pantries to Reap Bounty of Excess Harvest