It Takes a Community to Fight Hunger and Homelessness in Our Neighborhoods.  Together We Are Making a Difference!

Keri Edmonds Silver Award Project

Keri Edmonds Collected 1500 slightly used and new books as well as building a bookcase with her dad to display her collection in the Lobby of the Mahwah Site for her Silver Award Project.

The display of her bookcase is a beautiful addition to our waiting room and the response of the children is very enthusiastic.

Making a Difference

Tenafly residents, Michael and Rachel Silverman, with the help of their parents, raised $1,557.81 for CFA by holding a garage sale. The family then shopped for the CFA's much needed items with the proceeds and delivered the food to CFA's Englewood site.

Bring IT! A Short Film Festival-Event Photos Will Be Posted Soon

www.bringitnj.org

Our sincere special thanks to Aki Liao, Connie Thorp, Donna Del Bueno, Ed Satterwhite, Jane Roberti, Jarmar Banks, Jason Rosoff, Ken Tulo, Phil Lam and Seyi for introducing and organizing this creative and innovative new fundraisering event for the Center for Food Action.

The special NYC screening of the Bring IT! Short Film Festival Program was made possible by Danny Boome and the Better Fed Than Dead Foundation.

The Bring IT! Short Film Festival is sponsored by:

Credit-suisse

Panasonic

Intralinks

The Bring IT volunteers: Jessica Sparzak, Andrea Turiansky, Dillion McGuire, Jay Fernando, Kathy Santana, Kevin Leonard, MaryAnne Belvedere, Max Rich, Nealy Esposito, Stu Heller and Peter Liao.

The Action Against Hunger Food Drive Was a Great Day for CFA

and All Area Food Pantries

The Center for Food Action would like to thank the North Jersey Media Group Foundation for organizing the 18th Annual Action Against Hunger™ Food Drive on October 4th. We would also like to thank all the hundreds of volunteers who participated. It was a great day. Each year this event provides the essential food and cash donations that are needed to stock North Jersey pantry shelves. The Action Against Hunger Food Drive will go a long way towards helping CFA meet the needs of families and individuals who are struggling to put food on their tables and keep a roof over their heads. Over 25% more families and individuals are coming to CFA for help compared to the same time last year.

OritaniBank Charitable Foundation Donates Second Installment of a $100,000 Grant to the Center for Food Action

During these tough economic times, Oritani Bank is taking action to prevent hunger and homelessness in our community.  More people than ever now need help to put food on their tables and keep a roof over their heads.  OritaniBank Charitable Foundation recently presented a $50,000 check to CFA, the second installment of its $100,000 pledge.

(L-R) Jim James, Site Manager at CFA Mahwah, Patricia Espy, Executive Director of CFA, Kevin J. Lynch, President of the OritaniBank Charitable Foundation and Chairman, President and CEO of Oritani Bank.

(L-R) Jennifer Rothman, CFA Director of Communications, Patricia Espy, CFA Executive Director, Kevin J. Lynch, Oritani Bank Chairman, President and CEO, and President of the OritaniBank Charitable Foundation, and Rosanne Buscemi, Oritani Bank Senior Vice President.  Kevin Lynch presented the check to Patricia Espy and toured CFA's new building in Mahwah.

(L-R) Rosanne Buscemi, Kevin Lynch and Margaret Cook Levy, CFA volunteer, stop for a photograph while packing emergency food packages at CFA's Mahwah site.

In November of ’08, Oritani awarded a $100,000 grant to The Center for Food Action, a non-profit organization that provides emergency food packages, rental and utility assistance, counseling and advocacy to individuals and families in need living in northern New Jersey. The grant provided a $50,000 award in ’08 and another $50,000 award to be made in early ’09 to support the CFA’s emergency services. This grant was made specifically to help fund CFA’s emergency services program that is helping people from all walks of life in our communities who now find themselves in need of assistance..   

In a recent interview with Kevin J. Lynch, President of the OritaniBank Charitable Foundation and Chairman, President and CEO of Oritani Bank, Mr. Lynch commented, “We realize that many businesses and individuals are struggling these days and have scaled back or ceased donating money to charitable organizations. Fortunately, Oritani Bank remains financially rock-solid and steadfast in its’ commitment to the CFA and other local charities.  The needs in our communities are real and have dramatically increased over the past year. We recognize the strain that this has placed in emergency funding that is rapidly being depleted while donations are at times at a standstill. Therefore, now more than ever, Oritani vows to continue aiding local area residents with contributions to worthy organizations which support the community.

Jim James, CFA Mahwah site manager, Peter A. Reganato, Director Ramsey UNICO, Patricia Espy, CFA Executive Director and Joe Verdone, District Governor UNICO.

The Business Volunteer Council Initiative Helps CFA

CFA would like to thank the Northern New Jersey Business Volunteer Council (BVC) for its generous donation of $3775 in ShopRite gift certificates.  This gift was made possible through a BVC strategic initiative called Brown Bag Buddies and will go directly towards helping CFA provide food to local families with children who are struggling to keep food on their tables.

The Brown Bag Buddies initiative, a summer food drive for children, grew when the BVC learned about the critical shortage of food for children during the summer.

Our thanks go to the following businesses who are members of the BVC:

Amper, Politziner & Mattia, BD, Benjamin Moore, BMW of North America, CareOne at Valley, Citibank, Cole, Schotz, Meisel, Forman & Leonard, PA, Compensation Solutions, Estro Entertainment, Fidelity Investments, Hilton Woodcliff Lakes, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Hudson City Savings Bank, Hunter Douglas, IKEA, Kelly Services, KPMG LLP, MWW Group, Pearson Education, PSE&G, Quest Diagnostics, The Reader’s Digest Association, Rockland Electric Company, Sealed Air, Spectra Laboratories, TD Banknorth, Tiffany & Co., United Water, and UPS Information Services.

“The Northern New Jersey Business Volunteer Council now boasts more than 30 member companies who believe that the best way to do business is to do good.  We are pleased to partner with Center for Food Action on this project, and look forward to a long and productive relationship with your agency,” according to Adrienne Zuendt, Hudson City Savings Bank-BVC Co-Chair and Sonja Clark, United Water-BVC Co-Chair.

ENGLEWOOD HOSPITAL LABORATORY TECHNICIANS COLLECT FOOD AND FUNDS FOR CFA.

A Special Thanks!

The Tenafly Children's Committee raised over $1000 for CFA by organizing a fleamarket that sold children's items such as cribs, strollers and clothing. Melissa Bogursky, chairperson of the Tenafly Children's Committe, along with five committee members, selected CFA as the recipient of the earnings because of the high number of clients CFA serves who are under the age of five.

THE BERGEN COUNTY NCJW CONTINUES TO HELP CFA

National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) stepped in and awarded CFA with a private grant when it learned that the funding for CFA’s 2008 homelessness prevention program had been exhausted earlier than expected. The sharp increase in neighbors needing help with utility, heat and electric bills began as far back as October and to-date, that trend shows no sign of improving.

"This grant came to us because Marsha Levy, a CFA front desk volunteer and a member of NCJW, noticed that an alarming number of clients were being turned away because the funding had run out. Because Ms. Levy took action and organized the grant through NCJW, many people, at the end of 2008, were able to stay in their homes and keep their heat and electric turn on. One person's action can truly make a difference," said Thelma Fedele, Director of Government Relations.

CFA is grateful for the NCJW’s consistent and innovative support of its mission to end local hunger and homelessness.

Hunger Facts

Milk prices have soared over the past year by 26%, eggs by 24%, bread by 13%. Add rising grocery prices to the higher cost of gas and electricity, throw in disappearing jobs and home foreclosures, and you can understand why people are struggling to keep food on the table. Our government figures 28 million Americans will be using food stamps this year —the highest level since the program began in the 1960’s. Bill Moyer’s Frontline - April 2008