Patch Holiday Food Drive In Jefferson

JEFFERSON, NJ — Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, predicted this would happen as millions of Americans lost their jobs, their paychecks and even their businesses because of the coronavirus pandemic: Hunger is an urgent problem for more than 26,330 people in and around Jefferson.

You can help. Patch and Feeding America teamed last summer to address the growing hunger crisis in America, connecting readers with the organization’s 200 member food banks that serve 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, and providing an easy way to donate money to help their neighbors.

Now through Dec. 31, we’re encouraging readers to make a tax-deductible contribution to Feeding America in the Patch Holiday Food Drive. Every $1 given to the organization buys 10 meals.

Some of the food pantries and other services available in Morris County are:

• Table of Hope, 59 Spring Street, Morristown
• Interfaith Food Pantry @ Dover, 2 Executive Drive, Morris Plains
• Interfaith Food Pantry @ Morris Plains, 2 Executive Drive, Morris Plains
• Nourish NJ, 36 South Street, Morristown
• Market Street Mission, 9 Market Street, Morristown
• Interfaith @ OTA-Morristown, 340 West Hanover Ave, Morristown

Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, says coronavirus-related economic crises could push the number of food insecure Americans to 54 million by year’s end. That’s 17 million more Americans than who were food insecure before the pandemic. For some, it’s a matter of running short on grocery money before the week is out and eating a lot of boxed pasta and rice dishes.

For others, food insecurity means real hunger.

In Morris County, about 26,330 were considered food insecure before the pandemic, according to Feeding America’s “Map the Meal Gap” interactive study.

Job loss and other economic crises associated with the coronavirus could push the rate of food insecurity in Morris County to 9.7 percent by the end of the year.

Feeding America, whose 200 member food banks include the Community FoodBank of New Jersey in Hillside, reports both higher demand for services and more need for volunteer and donor support.

Feeding America says that 80 percent of its food banks — or 4 in 5 — are serving more people than they were at the same time last year. With the pandemic worsening during the holiday season, many people who never before worried about how they’d pay for a holiday meal are turning to food banks for the first time.

From the beginning of the pandemic in March, Feeding America distributed 4.2 billion meals — enough to provide every U.S. resident with breakfast, lunch and dinner for just over four days.

In the first four months of the pandemic, 4 in 10 people were first-time visitors to food banks, according to Feeding America.

RELATED: Millions Made Hungry During Pandemic Could Include Your Neighbor

Food insecurity is often thought of as a “poor people’s problem,” but not all people living in poverty are food insecure, and not all food insecure people live in poverty. Food insecurity is a complex issue sandwiched in with other systemic challenges, including poverty, low wages, affordable housing shortages, chronic and acute health problems, high medical costs and social isolation.

“Our members are reporting that many of the people they’re serving have never sought food assistance before,” Kathryn Strickland, Feeding America’s chief network officer, told Patch. “Some people are reporting that people who formerly donated to food banks are now seeking assistance.”

How To Support The Patch Holiday Food Drive

Patch has teamed with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2020, more than 50 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.