West Orange Food Pantry, Soup Kitchen Need Help From The Community

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The law of supply and demand has been hitting hard for a local church’s community outreach efforts in West Orange, administrators say.

Since 1907, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church at 315 Main Street in West Orange has been a mainstay in the community. But what was once a packed church has seen a drop in attendance. Now, its outreach arms – the Holy Trinity-West Orange Food Pantry, Christine’s Soup Kitchen and the Thrift Shop – are struggling to meet a rising local need.

More than 150 lunches are distributed each Saturday from noon to 1 p.m. via Christine’s Kitchen, where rotating groups bring in the food for distribution. The pantry serves up to 200 families a week on Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. until the food runs out.

At the same time, financial donations to the church and food pantry are down and both are experiencing deficits, while food pantry and soup kitchen distributions are way up – again. The Thrift Shop has also experienced a decline in shoppers while the church has depended on it to raise a third of its yearly expenses.

“We are extremely grateful to our neighbors in the West Orange community,” food pantry administrator Cynthia Cumming, “but just as life has become more expensive for all of us as Americans, so too are the expenses to keep the church and its outreaches going.”

One easy way to help? Exert some consumer spending power, administrators say:

“In particular, the Thrift Shop could use the support of the community. Open Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., there are bargains to be had. From clothes, shoes, jewelry, handbags, kitchen essentials, home goods, gift items, toys, and more, there is something for everyone. New items are being added each week and it’s definitely worth the trip to stop by and see what’s there. There are vintage treasures to be found as well, including designer labels and crystal.”

For more information on how to help, contact heidlercumming@aol.com or visit the church’s website.

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