Patch Holiday Food Drive In Union County: Give To Feeding America

UNION COUNTY, NJ — Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, predicted this would happen as millions of Americans lost their jobs, their paychecks, and even their businesses because of the coronavirus pandemic: hunger is an urgent problem for about 72,880 people in Union County.

You can help. Patch and Feeding America teamed last summer to address the growing hunger crisis in America, connecting readers with the organization’s 200 member food banks that serve 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, and providing an easy way to donate money to help their neighbors.

Now through Dec. 31, we’re encouraging readers to make a tax-deductible contribution to Feeding America in the Patch Holiday Food Drive. Every $1 given to the organization buys 10 meals.

Some of the food pantries and other services available in Union County are listed below. You can also inquire at your local town hall or local places of religious worship, as both often have food to donate or connections to local programs.

• SHIP Soup Kitchen 31 Woodland Avenue Summit, NJ 908-723-5790 Get Directions, Call
• The Grace Refrigerator Food Pantry 5 Myrtle Avenue Summit, NJ (917) 517-3203 Get Directions, Call
• Our Lady of Peace Church Food Pantry 111 South St. New Providence, NJ (908) 464-7600 Get Directions, Call
• HOLY TRINITY RC CHURCH Food Pantry 315 First Street Westfield, NJ (908) 232-8137 Get Directions, Call
• UKRAINIAN EVANGELICAL OF GOD Food Pantry 2208 Stanley Terrace Union, NJ (908) 686-8171 Get Directions, Call
• OHEB SHALOM CONG Food Pantry 170 Scotland Rd South Orange, NJ (973) 762-7067 Get Directions, Call
• CHURCH OF IMMACULATE HEART Food Pantry 1571 S. Martine Avenue Scotch Plains, NJ (908) 889-2100 Get Directions, Call

Feeding America predicted last summer that 50 million people, including 17 million children, could face hunger by year’s end because of the pandemic. Feeding America projects the food insecurity rate in Union County will rise to 13.1 percent in 2020, up from 8.2 percent in 2018.

SHIP, Summit Helping Its People, a volunteer organization supported by local residents and businesses, has a list on its website of how to get help, donate, or volunteer. "SHIP has many opportunities for you to help in our breakfast/bag lunch program, the weekend dinner program, and our other special and annual events," they note.

Feeding America says that 80 percent of its food banks — or 4 in 5 — are serving more people than they were at the same time last year. With the pandemic worsening during the holiday season, many people who never before worried about how they’d pay for a holiday meal are turning to food banks for the first time.

From the beginning of the pandemic in March, Feeding America distributed 4.2 billion meals — enough to provide every U.S. resident with breakfast, lunch and dinner for just over four days.

In the first four months of the pandemic, 4 in 10 people were first-time visitors to food banks, according to Feeding America.

How To Support The Patch Holiday Food Drive

Patch has teamed with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2020, more than 50 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.

Got news? Email caren.lissner@patch.com. To be the first to get news alerts with breaking stories in your town, or to get a free local newsletter each morning, sign up for Patch breaking news alerts or daily newsletters.