NJ Food Bank Holds Successful Fundraiser In Newark, Nets $1.36M

NEWARK, NJ — The Community FoodBank of New Jersey recently raised more than $1.36 million at its Blue Jean Ball 2024.

The annual fundraising event was held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark. The funds raised at the gala – which equals roughly four million meals – will be used to tackle the “root causes” of hunger in the Garden State, organizers said.

This year's event was symbolic, as Newark is where the nonprofit’s founder, Kathleen DiChiara, first began giving out food from the back of her station wagon in 1975. It’s also where the food bank was first headquartered after its incorporation in 1982.

According to the nonprofit, CFBNJ funding was used to power the following causes last year:

DISTRIBUTE - 90 million meals to food insecure New Jerseyans

EDUCATE - 54 students through CFBNJ’s job training programs

PROVIDE - over 180,000 meals to kids through after-school and summer programs

HELP - create better health outcomes by distributing 37 million pounds of fresh produce

SUPPLY - 3 million period supplies and 7 million diapers

PREPARE - 93,000 Family Packs containing about 1.5 million meals

The nonprofit also gave a hearty congratulations to this year's “Food, Hope and Help” honorees:

FOOD AWARD (Signature Check-Out Hunger sponsor and partners)

• Premio Foods, Inc.
• Wakefern Food Corp.
• The Wawa Foundation
• Wegmans

HELP AWARD (For decades of volunteerism and philanthropy ):

• Peerless Beverage Company

HOPE AWARD (Newark-based program partners and champions of change in fighting food insecurity):

• FOCUS Hispanic Center for Community Development, Inc.
• New Jersey Devils, Prudential Center, and Devils Youth Foundation
• North Jersey Community Research Initiative
• pantry+ at Rutgers University – Newark
• Rutgers Heath Food Pantry
• St. James Social Service Corporation
• Tree House Cares

“This was a magical evening,” said Elizabeth McCarthy, president and CEO of the food bank, which is the state's largest anti-hunger organization.

“Hundreds of New Jersey community members came together to support [our] mission to end hunger,” McCarthy said, thanking the honorees, sponsors, chairs, attendees and others who made the night a success.

“I am incredibly grateful for our supporters who remain dedicated to solving food insecurity,” McCarthy said.

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