Food Bank Of South Jersey Inc

FOOD BANK OF SOUTH JERSEY PROVIDES FOOD AND DELIVERS HEALTH AND WELLNESS PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE PEOPLE'S LIVES.

THE FOOD BANK OF SJ OPERATES A DONATED FOOD CENTER THAT DISTRIBUTES FOOD TO QUALIFYING NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND AGENCIES WHO DISTRIBUTE FOOD TO FOOD INSECURE INDIVIDUALS. DURING 2021 THE FOOD BANK DISTRIBUTED OVER 17.9 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD. THE FOOD BANK ACCOMPLISHES THIS THROUGH FEEDMORE WHICH IS ITS CORE PROGRAM THROUGH WHICH THE ORGANIZATION SOLICITS SURPLUS FOOD EACH YEAR FROM LOCAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL FOOD SOURCES. MORE THAN 200 EMERGENCY FEEDING PROGRAMS ACCESS THIS FOOD DAILY TO MEET THE FOOD NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE LIVING IN FOOD INSECURE HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS THE 4 COUNTIES IT SERVES. THE EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IS FUNDED BY THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY THROUGH DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS FOR THE PURCHASE OF HEALTHY AND NUTRITIOUS FOODS TO FEED PEOPLE AFFECTED BY HUNGER THROUGH PARTICIPATING AGENCIES. IN JANUARY 2020, THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION DECLARED THE OUTBREAK OF A NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) AS A "PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY OF INTERNATIONAL CONCERN," WHICH CONTINUES TO SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE WORLD AND HAS ADVERSELY IMPACTED GLOBAL COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY AND CONTRIBUTED TO SIGNIFICANT DECLINES AND VOLATILITY IN FINANCIAL MARKETS. THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK AND GOVERNMENT RESPONSES ARE CREATING DISRUPTION IN GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS AND ADVERSELY IMPACTING MANY INDUSTRIES. THE OUTBREAK COULD CONTINUE TO HAVE A CONTINUED MATERIAL ADVERSE IMPACT ON ECONOMIC AND MARKET CONDITIONS AND TRIGGER A PERIOD OF GLOBAL ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN. THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT AND FLUIDITY OF THIS SITUATION PRECLUDES ANY PREDICTION AS TO THE ULTIMATE MATERIAL ADVERSE IMPACT OF THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK. THE ORGANIZATION HAS SEEN A HIGH LEVEL OF SUPPORT DURING THE PANDEMIC WITH A SURPLUS OF $2.6 MILLION AND CASH OF $11.7 MILLION AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2021. PART OF THE INCREASE IN SUPPORT WAS USED THIS YEAR TO RESPOND TO THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC. THE ORGANIZATION SAW A SPIKE IN THE NUMBER OF THOSE HARDEST HIT. IN 2021, THE ORGANIZATION DISTRIBUTED 17.9 MILLION POUNDS OF FOOD AND 868,500 CHILDREN'S MEALS. APPROXIMATELY 59,000 SOUTH JERSEY INDIVIDUALS INCLUDING FAMILIES AND SENIORS TURNED TO THE FOOD BANK OF SOUTH JERSEY FOR FOOD RESOURCES. SEVERAL FACTORS HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE TO REQUIRE THE ORGANIZATION TO PURCHASE HUGE QUANTITIES OF FOOD AS WELL AS NON-FOOD ITEMS. FINANCIAL ASSETS ON HAND WILL HELP THE ORGANIZATION MEET EXTRAORDINARY NEEDS. THE CONCERN REMAINS ON FUNDING THE ANTICIPATED HIGHER NEED IN THE YEARS BEYOND. THE PREVIOUS DOWNTURN TOOK NEARLY A DECADE TO SEE AN ECONOMIC RECOVERY FOR THE ORGANIZATION'S CLIENT POPULATION.