Monmouth Worship Center Food Pantry volunteer Lisa Luisi stands with the pantry’s new chest freezer, which was made possible through a grant from Fulfill. The freezer allows the organization to store more fresh proteins, and increases its capacity to store frozen food overall by about 30%.
Fulfill Capacity Grants Support Local Pantries
Monmouth Worship Center Food Pantry receives freezer to increase capacity amongst growing demand
Neptune, NJ – “This is so wonderful. You have no idea.”
That’s how a grateful member of the community recently responded to volunteers at the Monmouth Worship Center Food Pantry in Marlboro. They made the comment after picking up nutritious meal items, including frozen food, thanks in part to a grant from Fulfill, the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.
Monmouth Worship Center Food Pantry is among over 300 Fulfill partners in Monmouth and Ocean counties, 28 of which have been awarded grants from Fulfill thus far in Fiscal Year 2025 (July 2024-June 2025). The Worship Center used the funds to purchase a chest freezer that increased its capacity to store frozen food by approximately 30%.
Fulfill has awarded more than $66,000 in 37 capacity grants since July 2024.
“Most of us have no idea about how much work goes into the work pantries and soup kitchens do behind the scenes,” said The Rev. Rosemarie Broderick, Executive Director, Center for Community Renewal and Clergy-in-Charge at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church in Keansburg. Broderick is also chair of the APAC (Agency Partner Advisory Committee) committee, which determines which capacity grants can be awards, as well as member of Fulfill’s Board of Trustees. “To store and distribute fresh, nutritious food they need functioning freezers, refrigerators, water dispensers and more. They might need anything from utensils to tables, ceiling fans to wheelchairs, and shelves to shopping carts to provide their core services to those in need.”
The capacity grants allow Fulfill’s network of pantry partners to request funds from the Food Bank to improve their facilities to serve neighbors in need. Freezers and refrigerators are the most commonly requested item Fulfill’s team has addressed. Fulfill offers these grants as a part of its mission to ensure a strong network of partners where those experiencing hunger can access healthy, nutritious foods.
“We can now keep a richer variety of meats, vegetables and fruits fresher and longer for those in need,” said Carmelita Froome, Worship Center volunteer. “We can better streamline distribution and meal planning. Another benefit is that we can offer these nutritious, protein- and nutrient-rich foods to all of our patrons, rather than only to those who are first to arrive on distribution days.”
The freezer helps Froome and other volunteers provide sustenance to far more individuals now than the center’s smaller, older freezer, which had recently broken. Froome and fellow volunteers are already thinking ahead to the Thanksgiving holiday, when the new freezer will allow them to store more turkeys and staples for holiday tables.
“Our Capacity Grant Program is one of many innovative ways we address hunger in our community,” said The Rev. Broderick. “We proudly fuel inventive ways to help the increasing number of our neighbors who are food insecure. We are grateful for the donations from individuals and organizations that make these efforts possible.”
Fulfill encourages organizations seeking assistance through its Capacity Grant Program to contact the Network Engagement Team (NET) at 732-918-2600 or email net@fulfillnj.org. To make a donation to support Fulfill and it’s programs, visit https://fulfillnj.org/.