Spotlight on Feeding Middlesex County

Here at Rows for the Hungry, we donate a majority of our fresh produce to Elijah’s Promise Community Kitchen in New Brunswick and Feeding Middlesex County (also referred to as MCFOODS). We want to spotlight one of these places for our readers and supporters.

Seen above is most of our harvest from August 17, 2021. It was picked up that day by Feeding Middlesex County.

Feeding Middlesex County (MCFOODS) financially supports organizations that feed the hungry. They raise funds to purchase food and equipment to assist qualifying agencies in procuring, storing, preserving and transporting food and other necessary items to their food insecure neighbors, through MCFOODS, the county food bank. They support over 140 emergency food providers in all 25 communities in Middlesex County via the county food bank.

According to their website:

“2020 was a crucial year for Feeding Middlesex County. Food insecurity grew in Middlesex County. Our partner, MCFOODS, the county food bank, experienced an increase in the need for food as more of our neighbors were unemployed and children were schooling virtually. In order to fill the empty shelves at MCFOODS, Feeding Middlesex County’s board and volunteers were determined to secure monetary as well as food donations to meet the needs of the 140 food pantries, soup kitchens, community centers and social service agencies reliant on the county food bank. Close to 97% of the funds raised by Feeding Middlesex County goes directly to the purchase of food and necessary items for the county food bank.

According to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, more than 12% (approx. 98,400 residents) of our county are now food insecure. There had been a downward trend in food insecurity in previous years, but the impact of the Coronavirus reversed this trend with the Middlesex County food insecurity number going from 7.3% to more than 12%.