NEPTUNE – The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties will mark its 30th anniversary with a community open house from 12:30 to 4: 30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, at the 3300 Route 66 facility.
Admission is free and all are welcome to attend. Visitors are invited to bring a donation of non-perishable food.
Visitors can tour the FoodBank facilities, including the organic garden, the more than 30,000-square-foot warehouse and the mobile pantry; learn about how food is procured and distributed to more than 130,000 residents of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, and participate in hands-on activities and demonstrations.
The FoodBank began in 1984 when a small group of people saw hunger at the Jersey Shore and decided to make a difference. They purchased a dilapidated warehouse in Spring Lake. Carpenters, masons and other members of the community donated work, office furniture and supplies. Food streamed in from hundreds of donors. After one year, the FoodBank was serving 25 charities with 100,000 pounds of food.
Ten years later, nearly two million pounds of food was being distributed annually from the same small warehouse. Bursting at the seams, the FoodBank undertook a capital campaign in 1998 to construct a new facility in Neptune. Three years later, the current 40,000 sq. ft facility became a reality.
Today, the FoodBank distributes more than 10 million meals through a network of 300 feeding programs serving 1 out 10 residents of Monmouth and Ocean counties. In addition to food distribution, the FoodBank works toward long-term solutions to the chronic problem of food insecurity with programs like a Culinary Career Training Program, SNAP (food stamps) outreach, free tax preparation and nutrition education.
For more information about the FoodBank visit www.foodbankmoc.org or call (732) 918-2600.
