Volunteers to distribute food to area families in three service events, culminating in an online event with Mrs. Theodora Smiley Lacey.

January 14, 2021, Englewood NJ– Center for Food Action and area schools team up to distribute free food to area families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in three special emergency MLK Pop-Up Events in Hackensack and Englewood on Monday, January 18^th, in honor of MLK Day of Service and Remembrance.

While these food distributions are primarily designed as Pop-Up drive-thru events, each family must have an appointment in advance. In addition to the pop-up drive-thru distributions, area residents in need may also get food assistance through appointment-based drive-through food distributions M-F at one of five area CFA pantries (Englewood, Hackensack, Mahwah, Saddle Brook, and Ringwood.) Anyone living in CFA’s service area in Bergen County, or northern Passaic County can request an appointment.

“To honor Dr. King during the pandemic, CFA has transformed our annual in-person Weekend Snack Pack Events into several smaller volunteer opportunities to help families struggling with hunger,” said Patricia Espy, CFA’s Executive Director.  “While these events will be different than our annual snack packing events, they help ensure that no child in our community goes hungry.  I am reminded of a quote from Dr. King who said, “I have the audacity to believe, that people everywhere can have three meals a day…” Espy added. “The snack packs funded by these events will fill hungry tummies and the emergency food packages distributed on MLK Day ensure families can put food on their tables.”

The organization is also offering everyone a very special event in the afternoon, a not-to-be-missed conversation with civil-rights icon, Mrs. Theodora Smiley Lacey on Facebook Live.  Mrs. Lacey will share stories of her time working with Dr. King during the Montgomery bus boycott and from a lifetime of fighting for voting rights and fair housing.

Center for Food Action partners with AmeriCorps for the annual MLK Day of Service. CFA has joined the ranks of thousands of nonprofit groups, faith-based organizations, schools, and businesses nationwide striving for equality embodied in Dr. King’s dream.

MLK Events Made Possible With Support From Our Sponsors: 

NJEA/Fort Lee, AT&T Retail, Community Baptist Church of Englewood, Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey,  National Council of Jewish Women Bergen County Section, Englewood NJ Rotary Club, The Ostfeld Maxfield Family, TD Bank, Greater Bergen Realtor/Citizen’s Bank, Negorie and Ingrid Jones, Knights of Pythias,   Visions Federal Credit Union, Dennis Williams and Family, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Iota Epsilon Omega, Life Christian Church, McDonald’s of Englewood, and National Coalition of 100 Black Women.