One of South Jersey's largest food pantries will temporarily close. Hundreds of people who attend a weekly food pantry at Grace Episcopal Church in Merchantville were notified Wednesday of the suspension of operations.
“Due to unprecedented growth and demand, the town of Merchantville is no longer able to accommodate the heavy traffic congestion that occurs every Wednesday,” the food pantry said in a letter to customers. “We understand that this decision may impact those who rely on our services, and we are actively working to find a solution to get us back up and running as soon as possible. ”
The food pantry has been in operation for over 20 years. It used to serve dozens of families each week. It now serves between 900 and 1,000 people every Wednesday. The growing need has led to increased traffic, with cars lining up block by block while waiting for food.
“We love doing this, but the traffic makes it difficult,” food bank volunteer Linda Purves said. “Traffic flow is probably the biggest issue here in Merchantville.”
Merchantville said the borough has continued to receive complaints from residents over the past few months about public safety and public nuisance concerns. He said borough leaders met with the church last week.
“Borough and church leaders have confirmed that the pantry cannot continue in its current form, that a moratorium is necessary, and that a plan is in place to guide its future direction so that it can operate in response to public concerns. , all involved agreed what needed to be agreed upon: a safe food pantry,” Mayor Ted Brennan wrote in an email to NBC10.
According to the Church, as hunger increases, so does the response.
Pastor Bob Fitzpatrick said, “Towns have come to us and told us they believe that with the number of people we serve, we are starting to overload the built environment around us.'' “There are still many issues to be resolved.”
Fitzpatrick said the mayor called him last night and told him he hoped the moratorium would last only two to three weeks.
“We know it's hard for our residents. It's very difficult. We're doing our best to control traffic, but it's only one day a week,” Purves said. “If someone complains about an inconvenience, we can see what we see. We see their faces, we see their children, we know their stories. ”
The South Jersey Food Bank said the Grace Church site is one of the largest food pantries in its network.
“People truly rely on this resource every week to make ends meet,” said Sarah Geiger, senior director of programs and services.
Geiger said overall need has increased and the amount is similar to what was seen at the height of the pandemic.
“Food banks in South Jersey have grown from serving 150,000 people a month to now serving 170,000 people,” Geiger said.
The South Jersey Food Bank has approximately 300 partners throughout the region. They are working with other pantries in the area to prepare for the influx of customers from the Grace Church site.
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