Jersey Shore Magazine

j e r s e y s h o r e • s p r i n g 2 0 1 4 47 Jill M. Ocone 2014 marks the thirtieth anniver- sary of the Foodbank, whose mission is to alleviate hunger and build food security in Monmouth and Ocean Counties. What three friends started in 1984, when they were able to help twenty-five charities and serve 10,000 pounds of food, has grown into a successful non-profit organization, helping 270 charities/agencies and serving over eight million pounds of food annually. A common misconception is that hunger is not a problem here at the Jersey Shore. However, when over 127,000 people a year (one in ten continued on page 48 people in the two counties) receive food through the charities supported by the Foodbank, it is clear that the need is, indeed, right here. "People would be surprised about the amount of need," said Marion Lynch, Media Director of the Foodbank. "These are relatively afflu- ent counties, but 51,000 children were helped last year. That is one in six children living in Monmouth and Ocean Counties," Lynch added. Lynch estimates that the Foodbank will distribute nine million pounds or more of food in 2014, which is an unprecedented increase. One reason for the increase is higher demand due to Superstorm Sandy. Countless shore families were not stronger than the storm, and due to the circumstances of lost housing and/or employment, the Foodbank still assists Sandy vic- tims and charities on a daily basis, more than a year-and-a-half after Sandy ravaged New Jersey. Demand also increased as a result of massive cuts to the federal food stamps program last year, and anoth- er food stamp cut may be looming. It is anticipated that if Congress passes a bill known as the "Farm Bill" in The Foodbank's inventory of provisions comes from a variety of sources, including local supermarkets, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and individual donations.

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