Who We Help
Hunger in Hunterdon
According to the US Census, Hunterdon County consistently ranks among the five wealthiest counties in the United States. This fact begs the question: Do we really have hungry people living in our county? Stop by the Food Pantry and the answer will be plain to see.
The US Department of Agriculture reports that In 2010, 48.8 million Americans lived in food insecure households (the USDA’s way to describe hungry families), including 32.6 million adults and 16.2 million children. In New Jersey, 1,101,570 people currently live in food insecure households, and in Hunterdon County, of 123,000 residents in 2010, an estimated 4,600 had incomes below the poverty level. Many of those residents, including children and infants, don’t get enough to eat without some form of assistance.
Our Clients
The Flemington Area Food Pantry provides groceries and personal care products at no cost to 1,600 needy Hunterdon County families. These are often underemployed hard-working adults, veterans, families with children, and seniors who simply cannot make ends meet and who go without food for several meals, or sometimes several days at a time. These people are your friends and neighbors. Some have lost jobs, others are retired and are victims of the current national economy. They are of all nationalities and ethnic backgrounds, but they all have one thing in common, they don’t have the resources to buy the food they need to subsist.
Some of our clients are homeless, others may be living in government-supported motels or apartments. Still others may be long-time residents of Hunterdon County and are managing to remain in their own homes, but don’t have enough income to purchase food.
Eligibility
All clients meet eligibility requirements that closely follow those of The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) of the USDA.