We provide food, in bulk, to charitable organizations that, in turn, feed the hungry. We also provide food to children identified as being food- insecure in school districts throughout our service territory. During the summer months we provide free lunches to children in the Phillipsburg area.
We aid in hunger relief by providing food and support to non-profit charitable organizations in Hunterdon, Sussex and Warren counties.
Hunger and Food Insecurity
Norwescap’s Food Bank, a subsidiary of Feeding America, is dedicated to ending hunger and reducing food waste by soliciting, storing and distributing donated food and other products to charitable organizations. While not open to the public,
the Food Bank distributes approximately 2 million pounds of food annually to 100 pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, on-site feeding programs, child care centers, senior centers, and programs for the disabled in Hunterdon, Sussex and Warren counties.
Our Food Bank also operates a thrift store.
Norwescap’s Food Bank does not receive any federal funding to support its operations. Thanks to volunteers and the financial support and generosity of corporations, individuals and families, Norwescap’s Food Bank has been successfully aiding in hunger relief in our communities since 1985. Each $1.00 donated to the Norwescap Food Bank provides 14 pounds of food that will be distributed throughout the communities we serve.
The Food Bank welcomes monetary donations, items for our Thrift Store and food donations such as peanut butter, tuna, canned fruits and vegetables, canned soup, and assorted nutritious cereals.
For more information on how you can help stop hunger and aid hunger relief, please call Norwescap Food Bank at 908-454-4322. or email: foodbank@norwescap.org
Thrift Shop Hours
Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Backpack Program
Proper nutrition is vital to the growth and development of children. Children of low-income families are at a higher risk of poor nutrition. Research indicates that even mild undernutrition experienced by young children during critical periods of growth impacts their behavior, school performance and overall cognitive development.
The Backpack Program is designed to meet the needs of hungry children at times when other resources are not available, such as weekends and school holidays. The program is being offered during the school year to students identified as being food-insecure. Each week, Food Bank staff and volunteers fill nondescript backpacks with nutritious food and drinks and deliver them to participating schools. The backpacks are packed to a child-friendly, easy to carry weight. The children bring the food-filled backpacks home each Friday and return them to school on the following Monday to be refilled for the coming weekend. The average cost to provide a child with a backpack is $11.00 per week.
Call for Action
Monetary and food donations are always welcome to support this amazing program. Items needed to fill a backpack include: small cans of protein, peanut butter (plastic container); jelly (plastic container); macaroni & cheese; 100% fruit juice boxes; variety pack cereal; cereal bars; instant breakfast drink mix; tuna fish; pudding cups; fruit cups;; applesauce cups; fruit snacks; fresh fruit and any other food items that children can easily carry in a backpack.
For more information on how you can support our Backpack Program, please call Norwescap’s Food Bank at 908-454-4322 or email: foodbank@norwescap.org
Summer Food Service Program
When school closes in June, many children lose their only reliable source of food. The Food Bank hosts a federally funded Summer Food Service Program in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. The program provides a free nutritious lunch to children up to the age of 18, Monday through Friday during the months of July and August.
Through this program, during the summer of 2019 over 4,000 free lunches were provided to children at several locations in Phillipsburg.
If you are interested in helping us feed our children over the summer months you are welcome to volunteer with our Food Bank. This volunteer opportunity can either be an individual or group effort with a rotating schedule.
Hunters Helping the Hungry
Hunters Helping the Hungry (HHH) is a nonprofit 501 (c) 3 organization that provides a program that hunters can donate deer through an approved butcher to the Norwescap Food Bank. Everyone who is a part of HHH helps through their donations, volunteerism and generosity.
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.
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