New Jersey Credit Unions Food Cooperative Donates Over 5,100 Pounds of Food to New Jersey Communities
EdiFi and First Harvest Credit Unions Lead 15 New Jersey-based Credit Unions to Replenish Pantries After Increased Summertime Need
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this year's New Jersey Credit Unions Food Cooperative! Our Co-Sponsors at EdiFi and 13 other participating New Jersey credit unions joined forces to collect over 5,100 pounds non-perishable food donations to support over 20 food pantries and organizations throughout the state.
This year’s collection period specifically targeted the heightened need for food during the summer months, when many children lose access to school-provided meals while on break. The New Jersey Credit Unions Food Cooperative helped replenish the shelves of local food pantries and organizations as a result of the increased need. All participating credit unions and their designated branches served as collection locations from July 21st through August 31st, providing broader geographic coverage across New Jersey. Each credit union branch directly supported a food pantry or organization within the community it serves.
Participating New Jersey credit unions include:
- EdiFi Credit Union (Co-Sponsor)
- First Harvest Credit Union (Co-Sponsor)
- Affinity Federal Credit Union
- Atlantic City Electric Company Employees Federal Credit Union
- Bay Atlantic Federal Credit Union
- Bridgeton Onized Federal Credit Union
- Community Financial Services Federal Credit Union
- Deepwater Industries Federal Credit Union
- Fort Billings Federal Credit Union
- Garden Savings Federal Credit Union
- Manville Area Federal Credit Union
- Members 1st of NJ Federal Credit Union
- Motion Federal Credit Union
- Princeton Federal Credit Union
- Ridgedale Federal Credit Union
Benefitting New Jersey food organizations include:
- Atlantic Cape Community College Food Pantry – Cape May Court House, NJ
- Beacon of Hope – Mount Holly, NJ
- Cathedral Kitchen – Camden, NJ
- Christian Caring Center – Browns Mill, NJ
- Feeding Hands - Hillsborough, NJ
- Flemington Food Bank – Flemington, NJ
- Food Bank Network of Somerset County - Bound Brook, NJ
- Franklin Food Bank – Somerset, NJ
- Greater Mount Moriah Baptist Church Food Pantry – Linden, NJ
- Hands Of Hope For The Community - Edison, NJ
- Interfaith Food Pantry Network - Morris Plains, NJ
- Main Street Food Pantry – Mays Landing, NJ
- No1HungryinEHC – Egg Harbor Township, NJ
- Rowan College of South Jersey Student Food Bank - Sewell, NJ
- Rowan University’s The Shop Pantry & Resource Center – Glassboro, NJ
- Second Baptist Church – Pedricktown, NJ
- Spirit & Truth Ministries - Vineland, NJ
- The Society of St. Vincent de Paul – Vineland, NJ
- Vineland Soup Kitchen - Vineland, NJ
“As not-for-profit credit unions, we have an inherent responsibility to uplift the communities we serve. New Jersey’s credit unions serve a wide variety of rural, urban and suburban communities. There is a food inequity and affordability crisis that is impacting all of our residents. Credit unions have a proven ability to lead when there is a need to help those who are underserved. New Jersey’s credit unions are proud to lead on this important member-driven mission.”
- First Harvest President & CEO Mike Dinneen.
“We’re seeing the stress that the increased cost of food and necessities is having on our local communities. This effort to help those in need is perfectly consistent with the mission of the credit union movement to lift up individuals and families. It’s great to see so many of our credit union colleagues collaborating together towards this initiative.”
- EdiFi Credit Union President & CEO Jill Peterson
Quick Facts:
- According to the U.S Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Annual Household Food Security report, New Jersey’s average food insecurity rate from 2021 to 2023 was 9.8%, with one in every 10 households experiencing food insecurity.
- From 2019 to 2022, children under 18 throughout the state have faced a worsening rate of food insecurity, which increased from 9.9% to 13.7% over 4 years.
- The New Jersey Economic Development Authority identified the top 50 food desert communities in the state have a combined total population of 1.5 million residents. These communities, who continue to have limited access to healthy and affordable food sources, are largely located within the footprints of the participating credit unions.
About First Harvest Credit Union
Established in 1940, First Harvest Credit Union is a low income-designated credit union headquartered in Deptford, NJ. With more than $450 million in assets, 48,000 members, and 700 Select Employer Groups, First Harvest is the largest credit union in Southern New Jersey and operates six full-service branches and seven ATM-only locations across Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, and Gloucester Counties. The credit union offers a full suite of saving, spending, borrowing and financial wellness solutions for consumers, institutions and businesses.