TOMS RIVER – Nonprofits and school officials met with Congressman Andy Kim (D-3rd) to provide insight on food insecurity issues.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) provided all children with free meals in school and throughout the summer regardless of financial circumstances. The program expanded through this school year and Kim hopes to extend it further.
Kim introduced the Summer Meals REACH Act of 2021 in Congress at the end of September. The Senate referred the bill to its Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Hunger relief efforts heightened during the onset of the pandemic, with greater amounts of people struggling to put food on their tables. Some never expected to find themselves in such dire circumstances.
According to Jim Kroeze, interim CEO for Fulfill in Monmouth and Ocean County, the organization serviced 136,000 people and 50,000 children before the pandemic.
“It’s now about 250,000 people and 70,000 children,” Kroeze said.
“Forty percent of the people who came through our lines at that time were first-time recipients of food assistance during the height of the pandemic,” added Greg Loder, Director of Marketing, Food Bank of South Jersey.
Participants in the round table discussion painted similar pictures of their observations when COVID-19 shut down many businesses. Some residents have not recovered from the lack of resources. However, the stigma associated with accepting food assistance included school-aged children.
“I saw the greatest change when all children were getting meals, and not just those qualified under free and reduced programs,” Jim Ricotta, Assistant Superintendent, Toms River Regional School District, shared. “This was especially true when we were back in school full time.”
According to Ricotta, when the district handed out lunch during hybrid or abbreviated days, kids didn’t take the lunches because of the associated stigma. However, now that everyone has access to meals in the cafeteria, students are more apt to enjoy the meals with their friends.
The Ocean County YMCA took an active role in providing meals throughout the community. The YMCA took a no questions asked approach to distributing foods, which YMCA representatives believe made it easier for those in need and concerned about the stigma. Some also wanted to give back themselves.
“It was amazing to see who would drive up for the meals,” Gretchen Insole, Interim CEO, Ocean County YMCA, shared. “We would ask them how many meals without asking questions and didn’t want them to feel judged.”
“I distributed the food last summer and met some really great families,” said Jennifer Poulos, an Ocean County YMCA staff member. “What actually surprised me were the number of grandparents who came in. They would sometimes bring in bags of kale and tomatoes from their gardens as they were so grateful for our help.”
Peter Rosario, the former CEO of the Ocean County YMCA stressed the importance of destigmatizing hunger in an impactful role. He said that the hardest working and low to moderate income families often have the most difficult time with food insecurity.
“When you look at Toms River, we have 300 access points for alcohol and tobacco,” Rosario pointed out. “Before the Summer Meals program, we didn’t have access to fresh fruits and vegetables for kids during the day.”
While much of the focus concentrates on feeding hungry children, providing food for adults also represents an issue. Parents who come to pick up food are embarrassed to share their hunger issues. There’s also a difference between handing out meals and providing groceries.
“Some people have reported back that they don’t have the kitchenware,” said Kim. “They don’t necessarily know what to do with raw groceries.”
Those currently suffering from food insecurity in Ocean County can start with these resources: Meals on Wheels, Fulfill, the Food Bank of South Jersey, and Community Food Bank of New Jersey.
Toms River Township Councilman Terrance Turnbach and other volunteers host a “Pop the Trunk” food distribution drive every Friday at the Presbyterian Church of Toms River, located at 1070 Hooper Avenue. Fresh food and canned goods, together with meals are provided to those who arrive before 1 p.m. Fulfill provides some of the food, which is supplemented by other contributions.
Participants in the roundtable discussion included Congressman Andy Kim, Gretchen Insole, Interim CEO, Ocean County YMCA; Pete Rosario, Former CEO, Ocean County YMCA; Jennifer Poulos, Staff, Ocean County YMCA; Darrin Anderson, CEO, NJ YMCA State Alliance; Sam Frisby, CEO, Capital Area YMCA (Trenton); Jim Ricotta, Assistant Superintendent, Toms River Regional School District; Jim Kroeze, CEO, Fulfill; Erin Leo, Nutritionist, Fulfill; Greg Loder, Director of Marketing, Food Bank of South Jersey; and Adele Latourette, Director of Hunger Free New Jersey.
“We’re trying to push forward a White House summit that hasn’t been done since the Kennedy administration,” said Kim. “…Some of the hardest calls we get during the pandemic are from the moms and dads telling us that they don’t know where their children’s next meals will come from – and how they feel ashamed.”
