First Lady Mary Pat Christie with Carlos Rodriguez, Executive Director of the FoodBank, and Donald Norkus, Board Chair.
On Wednesday, October 29th First Lady Mary Pat Christie visited The FoodBank of Monmouth & Ocean Counties, a recipient of a $500,000 grant from the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund, chaired by First Lady Mary Pat Christie. This grant to the FoodBank is one of 27 new grants totaling $7.3 million in relief funding. The amount awarded by the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund since the storm now totals nearly $34 million.
“This grant will help provide food for the more than 12,000 people impacted by Sandy that visit our local pantries and soup kitchens,” said Carlos Rodriguez, Executive Director. “As we rebuild our communities the FoodBank will help NJ stay strong, one meal at a time.”
“It was an incredibly competitive and impressive grant cycle,” said First Lady Mary Pat Christie. “The Fund is now working with more than 100 non-profit organizations on programs that provide housing assistance, financial and legal counseling, social and mental health services, and economic development support.”
The FoodBank of Monmouth & Ocean Counties secures and distributes close to 10 million pounds of food annually to a network of approximately 300 partner agencies who in turn feed over 131,000 people in 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 such as a Culinary Career Training Program, SNAP (food stamps) outreach, free tax preparation and nutrition education. For more information go to www.fulfillnj.org or call 732-918-2600. To learn more about the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund visit www.sandynjrelieffund.org.