The Bethany Baptist Church Food Pantry & Clothes Closet is a 501c3 organization. The Pantry's mission is to provide emergency food, clothing, and disaster relief for all of those in need who enter our doors. We do so without regard to age, race, or religion. All persons associated with the Pantry do so on a volunteer basis. We rarely turn away volunteers, as there is much to be done.
We are open on Tuesday and Thursday from 11 am - 1 pm. All of those seeking our services are ... Read More
The Bethany Baptist Church Food Pantry & Clothes Closet is a 501c3 organization. The Pantry's mission is to provide emergency food, clothing, and disaster relief for all of those in need who enter our doors. We do so without regard to age, race, or religion. All persons associated with the Pantry do so on a volunteer basis. We rarely turn away volunteers, as there is much to be done.
We are open on Tuesday and Thursday from 11 am - 1 pm. All of those seeking our services are required to have a referral from a community-based agency. However, no one is turned away on their first visit. All first-timers must complete an intake application and take part in an intake screening, which includes an explanation of our services and a copy of our rules and regulations.
From October 2003 through the present, the Food Pantry has been in partnership with the Community Food Bank of New Jersey. We receive two allotments monthly: one from the State of NJ and one from the US government. We are closely monitored and follow all requirements for providing the safest, cleanest, and healthiest pantry. In addition, all food handler volunteers are required to attend classes and are certified. In addition to food distribution, we also provide turkeys on most Thanksgivings and have sponsored a Pantry Toy Drive for our client's children since 2014.
During the past few years, our client base has changed from the working poor to the homeless, the unemployed, veterans, and the elderly. The COVID-19 Pandemic forced many more souls to seek out our Pantry for the first time. We also partner with our own (Bethany) Senior Center and the Birchwood Adult Day Care Center in East Orange to provide their respective clients with food once a month.
Our number of families served per year jumped almost threefold from 2004 to 2020. The increased levels we reached in the year before and during the Pandemic speak for themselves:
2019: 2,395 families (4,689 people)
2020: 4,435 families (16,741 people)
The 'Pantry' is supported not only by the Bethany Leagues, Committees, and membership but also by other sources such as:
- Annual grants from Shop-Rite
- Coats and household items provided by Burlington Coat Factory
- Clothing drives conducted by Toyota of Port Newark
- Regular donations from University Heights Charter School
- Assorted clothing donated by a New York fashion outlet
- Food donations from the Newark Chapter of Jack & Jill, Inc.
- Food donations from Panera Bread
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