The NJ food bank could close next month as it looks for a new home

The future of a New Jersey food bank is uncertain as it searches for a new home so it can continue feeding Monmouth County residents — a need that has increased in recent years.

Leaders hope the Bradley Food Pantry can find a new home before or after May 17, when it is expected to vacate its current space at St. James Episcopal Church on 4th Avenue in Bradley Beach. The pantry has spent 40 years in the church, said Linda Curtiss, executive director.

That expected closure comes as the all-volunteer pantry says it has been overwhelmed by public demand, a demand that grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, when millions of Americans had to navigate social distancing protocols that limited the U.S. economy, forcing many to were forced to leave their country. work.

An email to the church from NJ Advance Media seeking comment was not immediately returned.

Rising consumer prices combined with inflation mean approximately 500 families rely on the pantry every week to stave off hunger, according to the website.

In 2023, the pantry had 2,753 different families come for supplies, requiring volunteers to distribute more than 850,000 pounds of food, according to the pantry.

“Thousands of families have been harmed by this, but we cannot continue to provide food and hospitality at our current location,” Curtis said in a statement.

Pantry leaders disagree with the church, saying both have “different views,” without elaborating. Those differences prompted the pantry to look for a new space to distribute meals since last August, the pantry said. More than 100 locations have already been weighed without making a final decision.

The pantry needs about 2,000 square feet of space, but finding space under the necessary zoning laws has been daunting, leaders say.

In our final weeks at church, the pantry will operate on a modified schedule: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. But the reduced schedule has posed unprecedented challenges to the pantry’s ability to serve the community, Curtis said.

The executive director said that despite recent hurdles, she and her team are aiming to make the impending closure only temporary.

“The Bradley Food Pantry will not rest until we find a location where we can come back better and stronger than before, ready to once again serve families in need,” said Curtis.