The holiday season has always been a time for giving back. In 2020, it’s no surprise that more families are in need of assistance than ever before. And every little bit helps. This is why the Hoboken Food Pantry hosted its first-ever Holiday Market this past Saturday, Dec. 12. At the Market, previously-donated toys, toiletries and beauty products were available for pick-up. The goal was to alleviate the financial burden brought on by the holidays.
Prior to the event, the Hoboken Food Pantry asked that people donate non-food items. On Saturday, clients picked them out at the Market as gifts, at no cost. The event took place at 1301 Washington Street from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and in order to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines, masks and social distancing were required.
The Holiday Market hosted by the Hoboken Food Pantry came in addition to the biweekly food distributions that their clients already receive. According to the Hoboken Food Pantry, they order 3,000 to 4,000 pounds of food each month. During the peak of the pandemic (March 25 to June 1), they noted more than 4,400 Hoboken residents received emergency food assistance. Since then, they serve up to 1,000 households every month.
Photo courtesy of the Hoboken Food Pantry
About the Hoboken Food Pantry
The Hoboken Food Pantry was opened in December 2019 by the Hoboken Community Center (HCC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located at 1301 Washington Street. Site of the former North Hudson Hoboken YMCA, the HCC is currently working on plans to rehabilitate space to reopen the pools, gym and meeting spaces into a new Community Center to serve all the residents of Hoboken. The HCC also provides affordable housing to 96 low- and moderate-income men in a separate building. HCC gave volunteers a small pantry space in the residential wing to address food insecurity among the tenants.
The Hoboken Food Pantry is still accepting food donations for the holiday season. For more information, or if you are a Hoboken resident in need, contact [email protected].
About the Author/s
Abby is The Digest's Managing Editor. She spends her time looking at dogs on Instagram and eating her way around Jersey City.
