South Brunswick Non-Profit Looks To Expand Food Pantry Services

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ – Nestled within 17 acres right off US-1, the Islamic Society of Central Jersey (ISCJ) has an unmissable presence at Monmouth Junction. Every Saturday, long lines of cars snake through for miles, making their way to the food pantry. Drivers come in alone, or with their families, to pick up a box of food to help them get through the week.

Since April, the ISCJ has been running a weekly drive-thru food pantry to help community members facing food insecurity.

“These are unprecedented times. You have people who you don't think have food insecurity, right? These are people who potentially have white collar jobs, who were recently laid off, and just can't seem to get back on their feet yet,” said Shireif Battat, member of Board of Trustees at ISCJ.

Early in the pandemic, members from ISCJ began hearing stories of people facing food insecurity, and unemployment. An article about a Florida mosque helping the community through their food pantry inspired ISCJ to start something similar, said Nicole Khan, a Board Member.

“We have a number of charity funds available to us, and one in particular that is earmarked to provide aid to those in need without question, whether they are of our faith or not, it does not matter,” said Battat, who works as a sales professional at a tech firm.

Since they began their weekly food pantry services, the organization has seen an increase in requests from community members. For Thanksgiving, the food pantry distributed around 130 boxes of food.

“The Thanksgiving outreach was special, because there were so many first-timers who came in,” said Khan. “One woman was so emotional. She said usually it was she who was helping others but this time around, she is seeking help,” said Khan, an engineer by profession.

According to the data collected by the ISCJ, the pandemic is adversely affecting different demographics. From people in white collar jobs to those working in the service industry, food insecurity has spared none.

But the most important and unseen demographic served by the ISCJ are the refugees and asylees living in the community and neighboring towns, who have been severely marginalized due to the pandemic.

Many have lost their jobs and are unable to register for SNAP programs and other benefits. Fear and language barriers often prevents them from seeking help.

“We’ve had families come in, who don’t need to tell us they are refugees or asylees, because we know,” said Khan. “One lady gives us a different name every week.”

At ISCJ, recent immigrants have found a safe space to seek help. ISCJ has made the process easy and uncomplicated. Those seeking help just need to provide their first names and answer a few basic questions. These questions, says ISCJ, help them serve people better.

“We mostly have young people – high school and college students – as volunteers. They are a little disarming. And people are less intimidated by youngsters,” said Khan.

Often, people line up at the entrance, but then zip out because they are apprehensive. “And then they would come around again, because they have food insecurity. They are approached carefully, obviously, so that they get comfortable,” said Battat.

For many immigrant parents who have lost their jobs, the ISCJ is a lifeline to alleviate economic stress.

Although the organization has a lot to give to the community, they face certain barriers. One of the biggest is people being apprehensive to enter the mosque grounds.

“Many have never been on the premises of a mosque before and are sort of super nervous,” said Battat.

“Unless you're Muslim, you're not going there. So, we're breaking down that barrier as well with the food pantry and helping connect with people in a positive light by showing them that we're all here together, because we're all the same,” said Khan.

To encourage more people to visit the food pantry, the ISCJ reached out the South Brunswick Police Department to help them spread the word through Nixle. "I figured if it comes from the police, it’s more official,” said Khan.

Since they began their work in April, the ISCJ has forged “great relationships” with members of the South Brunswick community. Many were inspired to give back and other joined in helping.

“We've had volunteers from the South Brunswick community, not affiliated with a mosque, just came in and pack boxes with us. We’ve had high school students, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, come in. It's been great,” said Battat.

But the ISCJ says they have a lot more to give. “We are looking for a demand,” said Battat.

Unlike other organizations, the ISCJ is not in need of extra funds. Rather, they are looking for ways to reach more people in need of help.

“We don’t do home deliveries. So, if someone lives in low-income housing and doesn’t have transportation, how do they reach us?” he said. This is a big concern especially for recent immigrant families.

With more resources to share, the organization is looking to expand its outreach to neighboring towns like Franklin Park, North Brunswick, Montgomery, Hillsborough, Princeton among others.

“Many food pantries provide services on specific days, especially on weekdays. Our advantage is that the drive-thru food pantry is held on the weekend, allowing people to come at their leisure, when they are not working,” said Battat.

“We have a lot of people coming in not just for food, but other social services, like housing. We would love to have a connection with some organization that helps people get into more affordable housing. These are services that we cannot offer. So if there are organizations that can help with those things, it would be great,” he said.

"We are happy to serve people in South Brunswick and beyond. If you are food insecure or know someone who needs help, please come through," said Khan.

The drive-thru food pantry at ISCJ is held every Saturday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Registration is not required.

This story is part of Patch's Headlining Hope series, which profiles local nonprofits and charitable organizations in need of volunteers and resources. If you know of a local organization that should be profiled, contact sarah.salvadore@patch.com.

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