Thank you, Assemblyman Roy Freiman, District 16 and Staff

Bentley Community Services Food Pantry was honored to have Assemblyman Roy Freiman, District 16 and two staff members, Julianna and Michele visit us recently to offer helping hands. Their visit, originally scheduled in April for National Volunteer month, was postponed due to the pandemic. We thank them for choosing Bentley Community Services Food Pantry to volunteer at and thank them for their truly great work!

For seven years, Bentley Community Services (BCS), a designated 501 (c) 3 charitable organization, has been helping families, seniors and individuals in financial crisis regain self-sufficiency by providing a full range of high quality grocery provisions and more each week, offsetting/eliminating weekly grocery bills. BCS has distributed over 1.7 million lbs. of high quality foods to date. As the main grocer, BCS creates access to healthy foods, facilitating healthy diets and nutrition so families benefit weekly from full shopping carts, feeding their families healthy and nutritious foods from the major food groups and more. The crucial monies that families save they then have to apply toward paying their monthly bills and expenses, reducing and paying off debts, medical bills and co-pays as these families work toward financial stability and security. BCS also offers educational and informational workshops throughout the year facilitated by professionals.

Economic challenges, living paycheck to paycheck and the pandemic have many families struggling to makes ends meet. This is a unique food distribution pantry where clients come weekly to pack a shopping cart full of high quality, fresh foods, non-perishables and other products to help you get on the fast track to recovery and self-sufficiency by saving crucial monies. BCS has remained open since the start of the pandemic and continues to serve our neighbors in need.

BCS operated for two years and then outgrew its origins in Belle Mead and is located in the Monmouth Junction portion of South Brunswick where it serves clientele families that come from Somerset, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Mercer and Monmouth counties. They typically do not receive assistance so Bentley is a vital community connection for them to receive help. Each week families pack up full shopping carts for their families of provisions, picked up by BCS from numerous grocers, restaurants, farms, bakeries, distributors, wholesalers and food harvest programs. Provisions are sorted and checked by volunteers to be distributed each week into the households that certainly could use them.

BCS is a unique food pantry servicing the entire Central New Jersey region of communities, specifically addressing the needs of families, seniors and individuals who, though perhaps employed, are challenged making ends meet. If you are having difficulty making ends meet or know of someone who is during these challenging times, please contact Bentley Community Services (BCS) at 908-227-0684 for help. We are currently accepting applications. There are also several volunteer opportunities available. The warehouse distribution facility is located at 4064 US-1 in Monmouth Junction. For more information about Bentley Community Services, please call 908-227-0684 or visit our website www.bentleycommunityservices.org and www.facebook.com/bentleycommunityservices/ Donations of perishable, non-perishable foods and toiletries are accepted throughout the year. Please consider giving to Bentley Community Services throughout the year for your tax-deductible charitable donation. You may choose to donate through the website via PayPal or send your generous donation by check to Bentley Community Services, PO Box 1093, Belle Mead, NJ 08502. BCS needs your support and is grateful for your generous donations!