{"id":9767,"date":"2016-11-18T03:13:42","date_gmt":"2016-11-18T08:13:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shorebeat.com\/brick\/?p=9767"},"modified":"2016-11-18T03:13:42","modified_gmt":"2016-11-18T08:13:42","slug":"a-perfect-storm-sandy-recovery-cost-of-living-driving-thousands-to-local-food-pantry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/2016\/11\/a-perfect-storm-sandy-recovery-cost-of-living-driving-thousands-to-local-food-pantry\/","title":{"rendered":"A Perfect Storm: Sandy Recovery, Cost of Living Driving Thousands to Local Food Pantry"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"People's<\/a>

People\u2019s Pantry, Toms River, N.J. (Photo: Daniel Nee)<\/p><\/div>\n

Four years after Superstorm Sandy, the storm still raged under sunny skies one mild fall afternoon at the People\u2019s Pantry food relief center in the Silverton section of Toms River.<\/p>\n

The pantry, which began as an impromptu food source for storm victims in the days and weeks after landfall, has become a community staple for thousands of families from Toms River, Brick and surrounding towns who have found themselves caught in a net of insecurity. They cannot keep up with the rising cost of living in New Jersey, but they earn too much money to qualify for food stamps and other assistance programs. The recent rise in the state\u2019s gas tax has only made the pinch tighter, organizers say.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re seeing a ridiculous amount of people,\u201d said Mary Masi, Director of Operations for the pantry, located off Hooper Avenue next door to Jon Bon Jovi\u2019s BEAT Center and Soul Kitchen. \u201cWe\u2019re up to 6,000 families and we\u2019re adding new people every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recently, the pantry experienced such a flood of clients that it had to pull back its borders. It now opens its doors to families between Point Pleasant and Beachwood, excluding Lakewood and Jackson. As a steady stream of women, children and men swept in and out during a recent afternoon, there was one reaction from Masi: \u201cSlow day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis county started to fall apart with the housing crisis, and just as things were starting to get a bit better, Sandy hit,\u201d said Patricia Donaghue, the pantry\u2019s executive director. \u201cBetween the cost of living, rebuilding, tax increases and utilities, it all snowballs.\u201d<\/p>\n

New Jersey\u2019s highest-in-the-nation property taxes and third-highest cost of living overall has driven hundreds of thousands out of state, but thousands more who remain have been driven to the People\u2019s Pantry, which currently has 23,000 people in its database and will distribute 1.8 million pounds of food this year.\u00a0As it currently stands, the pantry adds between 10 and 15 new families every day, the majority of which are Sandy victims who face a multitude of bills as they are still trying to rebuild their homes, or paying their storm-related debts, Donaghue said.<\/p>\n

\"People's<\/a>

People\u2019s Pantry, Toms River, N.J. (Photo: Daniel Nee)<\/p><\/div>\n

A local company recently donated 300 boxes of cereal to the pantry. It took a day and a half for the supply to be completely run out, Masi said.<\/p>\n

The pantry employs four people at modest salaries who run day-to-day operations, with volunteers accounting for 1,500 man-hours of service each month. As the holiday season approaches and colder weather begins to move in, Donaghue said the pantry is seeking donations in order to purchase the most amount of food it can.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s an Industry\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are some misconceptions about People\u2019s Pantry, and food pantries in general, Donaghue said. Though the pantry is partners with Bon Jovi\u2019s BEAT Center, the Jersey musician does not flood the organization with cash. It is still responsible for fund-raising, and paying insurance, utilities and \u2013 yes \u2013 food.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople think that every drop of food in a food pantry is donated, but it is not,\u201d said Donaghue. \u201cPeople who run food pantries have to purchase food from their food banks, and pay a handling fee of 18 cents a pound. Our food costs run anywhere from $45,000 to $55,000 a year, which ain\u2019t easy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an industry,\u201d said Donaghue, explaining that donations of cash or food directly to the pantry goes much farther than a donation to a large food bank.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf somebody went and bought a turkey to bring to me, to feed a family for Thanksgiving, if they had brought me the amount of money, I could have bought 10 turkeys,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople think we\u2019re flush with cash because of appearances,\u201d said Masi. \u201cWe\u2019re in a beautiful facility with some pretty high-profile partners, but we\u2019re all separate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making Strides<\/strong><\/p>\n

Recently, People\u2019s Pantry found a new and valuable partner in Perlmutter Shop-Rites, which began donating thousands of pounds of food each week.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou gotta love them: they said, \u2018pick up from our stores as long as it stays in Ocean County,'\u201d said Donaghue. \u201cThree days a week, we pick up from their stores, no middle man and no cost, and we pick up 5,000 pounds a week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the pantry is seeking to dispatch the misconceptions and ask local residents to consider donating directly to the organization during the holiday season and in the future. The pantry accepts food donations, but the value of the same donation in cash allows many more families to be fed, since the organization can buy with bulk pricing.<\/p>\n

The pantry is a true illustration of neighbors helping neighbors, the pantry staff said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are middle class people,\u201d said Donaghue. \u201cLess than 8 percent of our clients qualify for food stamps.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pantry is also unique in that it operates \u201csupermarket\u201d style, in a brightly-colored facility that evokes feelings of freshness and friendliness. The pantry\u2019s appearance is deliberate \u2013 there\u2019s no stigma attached.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re a kid, you remember things,\u201d said Masi. \u201cThe kids who come in this pantry don\u2019t know that their parents have an issue with food insecurity, because they\u2019re in such a beautiful environment, and that\u2019s a big thing. That\u2019s what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n[box type=\u201dshadow\u201d align=\u201d\u201d class=\u201d\u201d width=\u201d\u201d]People\u2019s Pantry: Info and How to Help<\/strong><\/p>\n