We provide food, in bulk, to charitable organizations that, in turn, feed the hungry. We also deliver food directly to food insecure children 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 Food Bank, 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 over 2,000,000 pounds of food annually to over 120 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 and several successful programs geared specifically toward childhood hunger including the Backpack and Summer Food Service Programs.
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 also welcomes monetary, items for our Thrift Store andfood 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 the Norwescap’s Food Bank at 908-454-4322.
email: foodbank@norwescap.org
Thrift Shop Hours
Wednesday & Thursday
9:00 am – 2:00 pm
Friday & Saturday
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
*Visit the Thrift Store”
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 the 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, Norwescap’s 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: 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; chicken noodle soup; applesauce cups; small canned vegetables; 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 the Norwescap’s Food Bank at 908-454-4322.
email: foodbank@norwescap.org
Summer Food Service Program
When school closes in June, many children lose their only reliable source of food. Norwescap’s 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 2017 over 3,500 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 non profit 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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