Hoboken Food Pantry Will Move And YMCA Will Return To Recreational Use: Organizers

HOBOKEN, NJ — The Hoboken Community Center (HCC), a nonprofit organization that provides food, supplies, and spaces to Hoboken residents in need (including their pets), announced last week that it had purchased property at 122 Adams St., where they will someday move the food pantry.

The pantry serves more than 2,400 households with supplemental food, hygiene, and pet supplies several times a week.

After those services move, the YMCA will undergo long-planned renovations for recreational and cultural programs, the HCC said in a release.

"The relocation of the Pantry from its temporary location at 1301 Washington St. is also necessary to allow the HCC to undergo a full renovation to revitalize the former YMCA into a community space for all ages for recreational, cultural, and educational programming," said the Community Center in a release last week.

"In the weeks ahead, the HCC will demolish the existing structure, clean, and fence off the site, while plans proceed to design and build a new pantry. The HCC is launching a $2 million fundraising campaign to complete the design and construction for the new permanent pantry. Donations can be made at hobokencc.org/pantryfund."

“What grew into an urgently needed lifeline for so many during the pandemic will soon have a permanent home in a space designed to better serve our community,” said Toni Tomarrazzo, HCC board secretary. “Everyone is entitled to basic necessities like those our Pantry provides, and we look forward to enhancing our offerings in a new space. Thank you to our donors, volunteers, and elected leaders who helped to make this happen.”

The new Pantry will feature a customer choice program allowing clients to select the food and products they need for their home. There will be scheduled appointment times for services during regular business hours.

The Hoboken Community Center Pantry was originally opened in the organization’s 1301 Washington St. building as a small operation in 2019 to address food insecurity among the men in the HCC’s Affordable Housing program.

During the pandemic, it quickly grew to meet the needs of the community with biweekly distributions of fresh and non-perishable groceries and non-food items such as diapers, toiletries, and menstrual products to anyone in need.

The Pantry serves over 2,400 registered households, including over 1,500 with children and nearly 900 seniors, and distributes more than 850 bags of food each month. The Pantry is a member agency of the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, organizers said.

The HCCC has a three-pronged mission consisting of affordable housing for 96 low-income men, a 40,000+ square foot community and recreation center under rehabilitation at 1301 Washington St., and a food, hygiene and pet supply pantry. To learn more, visit hobokencc.org.