Expansion will provide dedicated space for the pantry

BY KATHY CHANG

Almost two decades ago, the Metuchen First Presbyterian Church (FPC) Food Pantry was born – in a closet.

In 2023, the pantry is gearing up for a welcome expansion – essentially from the closet to an extension of the church’s social center - thanks to a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development, or HUD, through COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.

The FPC Food Pantrylike many food pantries across the countrywere inundated with families in need during the pandemic.

When Sarah Teti, director of Local Mission, began her role overseeing the pantry five years ago, the pantry was serving about 60 families in the Metuchen and Edison area. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020 and the number of families in need more than doubled to 150 or so.

“We never closed,” she recalled. “We trans- formed into a drive-up model. We spread out the food in the church to pack … food was low, and we were scraping together what we had to give out. We also had opened the pantry to anyone in need.”

The FPC Food Pantry is located in the church’s social center on Woodbridge Avenue. Currently, the pantry shares the space with other organizations that utilize the social center including the nursery and other groups.

Because of this, Teti said the pantry can only be open during certain hours and once they close, they have to pack up as if they never used the space.

Avenue. Currently, the pantry other begin the

The expansion, which they hope to begin construction in the summer, will allow for a dedicated space for the pantry. She said the expansion will be funded through the grant funds plus fundraising.

So let’s recap. Twenty years ago, “congregants saw a need.” please see PANTRY, page 7 produce from Whole Foods in Metuchen and Lotte Market in Edison. Teti said they also get a supply of food from Replenish Distribution Center in East Brunswick, which is operated by the Middlesex County Department of Community Services with the support of the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners. committee bring and shop what

“They would stock the closet full of food and pack bags here and there to give out,” Teti said.

A more formalized process began 10 years ago when people from the Metuchen and Edison area would call in when the need arose, and volunteers would pack bags to give out to families once a month, she said.

Five years ago - with an even more growing number of families in need - the church committee decided to bring in Teti to oversee the pantry.

Three times a year, volunteers come together to pack larger holiday bags for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Teti said in the bags, they include $20 grocery store gift cards for protein. During the recent Christmas holiday season, all the gift cards were donated through generous donors, she said.

She helped the church organize the pantry into a client choice model pantry, which many pantries have transformed into.

“Clients come in by appointment and can essentially shop the aisles and take what they need for their family,” Teti said, noting the model cuts out food waste because families are able to pick out what they need.

The vision is for the food pantry to operate as a component of a comprehensive path for dependent or needy families and individuals as they become more financially stable or move toward complete independence, according to the pantry website.

The mission for the Metuchen FPC Food Pantry is to: complete to area, age, handicap, sex, or national origin, sexual

• Provide healthy food in a dignified way to those in need in the Metuchen/Edison area, without regard to race, color, religion, age, handicap, sex, or national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.

• Strengthen the community while providing individuals and groups with the ability to serve others through volunteering time and/or giving food or monetary donations.

• Educate clients and the public of additional programs and issues of hunger in the area.

Generous donors are the lifeblood of the food pantry, enabling the pantry to provide this form of support to the food insecure.

Volunteers are church members, local businesses, scout troops, local school students, families, chambers of commerce, and many other generous, caring community members and organizations.

Teti said they rely on a mixture to keep the pantry stocked from consistent food drives at Campbell Elementary School, the YMCA of Metuchen, Edison, Woodbridge and South Amboy, the Metuchen Elks, and girl and boy scout troops.

The pantry receives monetary donations allowing volunteers to purchase fresh

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Teti said the pantry can only guarantee food – also including pet food, but at times the pantry receives or buys hygiene products, laundry detergent and toilet paper. She noted Food Stamps don’t allow people to buy items such as laundry noted don’t paying rent or electric bills. detergent and toilet paper. from 9 a.m. to noon every donations, or items that org/food-pantry/.

Currently, the FPC Food Pantry services 75 to 100 families from the Metuchen and Edison area. Along with the number of clients who make appointments to come to the pantry, Teti said they make volunteer deliveries to domestic violence safe houses. The clients at the safe houses only have access to microwaveable food items.

Teti said the local mission also encompasses social services and have programs to help clients, who may need help paying rent or electric bills.

Every third Thursday a month, volunteers come together for a volunteer mission night from 7-8:30 p.m. to pack specialty bags from hygiene specialty bags to birthday cake bags filled with cake mix, frosting, sprinkles etc.

The pantry hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon every week.

Food drop off times are from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Donation drop off is located at the FPC Social Center at 270 Woodbridge Ave., Metuchen, NJ 08840. The donation bins are located outside the building (yellow lid), or inside the lobby. For large donations, or items that are perishable and need refrigeration, contact the food pantry at 732-491-2325 to schedule a drop off.

For more information about the FPC Food Pantry visit https://fpcweb. org/food-pantry/.

Celebrating 22 years of excellence in our community!

Metuchen has a number of minority-owned businesses. Just check out the growing list on the Metuchen Downtown Alliance, MDA, website. This month’s Metuchen 08840 takes a look at Suite Metuchen.

In spring 2022, High school sweethearts Derek and Trekita Moore took a leap of faith by starting a local business in the borough. With backgrounds in the oil business and in nursing (respectively), this married couple dove literally headfirst into business ownership - a niche they were both determined to master. Since unveiling their event space with a May 2022 ribbon cutting event, the Moore’s of Suite Metuchen have hosted guests planning micro-events in downtown Metuchen.

“The name is meant to be universal and apply to many events,” explained Derek Moore. “We’re a bit more upscale than if you rented out a VFW [hall] and can cater to any event that you need four walls and a roof for.”

A Well-Equipped Event Space

many different events, guests have given overwhelming praise for “one particular aspect” of the business – the décor in their male and female bathrooms.

“Just [recently], I had some guys book with me after seeing the event space, he was

In this case and in many others, had he been running the show as solo Derek, he may have missed out on this client’s business, he admitted.

“In the beginning, I wanted one bathroom, we argued about it. I said, ‘Let’s just paint it white and go, we’re trying to open,’” smiled Derek Moore. “But this is a testament and credit to my wife. She wouldn’t budge. She had the bathrooms done up very nice with specific fixtures and interior design in mind.”