South Orange Community Gathers 3 Tons Of Produce For Food Pantry

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — A recent collaborative effort between local community groups and houses of worship in the South Orange area resulted in almost 6,000 pounds of fresh produce for local, in-need families.

Members of Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel (TSTI) in South Orange recently teamed up with volunteers from the Berkeley Heights-based Investors Bank and Summit Medical Group Foundation to distribute a wide variety of produce and other goods to clients of the Interfaith Food Pantry of the Oranges (IFPO).

According to TSTI, it is one of four area houses of worship that support the IFPO with weekly distribution days and other endeavors. Members of the Sisterhood of Congregation Beth El in South Orange also joined them at the April 25 distribution day.

The volunteers served 275 clients, who received nearly 6,000 pounds of fresh produce that was provided by the Farmer's Market program, which is co-sponsored by Community FoodBank of New Jersey and Summit Medical Group Foundation.

Products donated by the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest’s J-Serve Day, a community service program for area teens, were also available at the event. The team distributed toiletries to all clients as well as diapers, wipes and baby food for those enrolled in the IFPO’s diaper program. Diaper clients were also offered handmade baby blankets from Project Linus. An all-time high of 233 babies were served in April through the diaper program, according to Lisa Goldberg Ozer of TSTI.

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Photo: TSTI