Going into winter, food pantries seek help in providing for 1 million New Jerseyans

The holiday season is approaching and food pantries in New Jersey are appealing for donations.

Many residents can’t afford to buy the food their families need, said Julienne Cherry with the Community Food Bank of New Jersey.

“In the state of New Jersey, we still have 1 million people that are food insecure. And of that, almost 300,000 of them are kids, and that’s one in seven kids,” she said. “So the need is still there. For every dollar that someone donates, we’re able to actually provide three meals.”

Cherry is appealing for donations of turkeys and supplies.

“We’re looking at staple items … So think about pasta, pasta sauce, vegetables, fruits, rice, nonperishables that we would put into a box a family could put into their food pantry and have access to that food daily.”

Food bank organizers hope they can distribute 22,000 turkeys to ensure the hungry have a Thanksgiving meal. And it’s planning food drives throughout the year that helps meet the continued demand for assistance.