Norwescap Food Bank

Norwescap Food Bank

Norwescap’s Food Bank is dedicated to ending hunger and reducing food waste in New Jersey. We serve Hunterdon, Sussex and Warren counties; of the 387,000 residents in these counties, 31,600 (8.8%) live in food insecure households.

The Food Bank works to ensure that every individual in our community has access to nutritious food needed to lead a healthy lifestyle. The Food Bank distributes approximately 3.5 million pounds of food annually which translates to 2.9 million meals of food through a network of 85 partner organizations, including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and on-site feeding programs throughout the tri-county area. The Food Bank also has programs to feed children identified as being food insecure through the backpack program and summer food service program. The backpack program works to fill the gap during weekends by providing nutritious, child-friendly food for children to take home over the weekend during the school year. The summer food service program provides free lunch to children up to the age of 18 during the summer months at several locations in Phillipsburg.

Norwescap Thrift Shop

Our thrift store, located at 201 Broad Street, Phillipsburg, NJ, is open to the general public Tuesday through Friday – 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Saturdays 10:00 am to 1:30 pm. We welcome donations of new or gently used/like new household items, clothing, and other items to sell in the store. All proceeds from sales support our Food Bank’s efforts to reduce hunger in our communities.

Summer Feeding Program

When school closes in June, many food insecure children lose their only reliable source of food. The Food Bank hosts a federally-funded Summer Food Service Program in Phillipsburg, NJ that provides free nutritious lunches to children under 18, Monday through Friday throughout July and August.

In past years we have provided more than 4,000 free lunches per summer through this program. We welcome volunteers to support this summer program – contact us 908-454-4322 or email foodbank@norwescap.org  for more details.

Backpack Program

The Backpack program started in 2006 with one school and now supports 14 schools across the three counties we serve.

Proper nutrition is vital to the growth and development of children. Children of low-income families are at a higher risk of poor nutrition; and even mild undernutrition during critical periods of growth can impact a child’s behavior, school performance and overall cognitive development.

The Backpack Program is offered throughout the school year to meet the needs of hungry children at times when other resources are not available, such as weekends and school holidays. Each week, Food Bank staff and volunteers fill backpacks with nutritious food and drinks (packed to a child-friendly, easy to carry weight) and deliver them to participating schools. The children bring the food-filled backpacks home each Friday and return them to school on Monday to be refilled for the coming weekend.

We welcome financial and food donations to support our Backpack Program. Needed food items include small cans of protein (such as tuna fish); peanut butter and jelly in plastic containers; macaroni & cheese; fresh fruit; 100% fruit juice boxes; variety pack cereals; granola bars; instant breakfast drink mix; pudding cups; fruit cups; fruit snacks; etc. Click here to support our Backpack Program today!

Growing Healthy Pantries

Our mission is to improve the well-being of communities by empowering food pantries across New Jersey to create healthier, more nourishing and dignified spaces. Together, we’re reshaping operations to promote food security, access to nutritious options, and increased choice. This is a collaborative effort among New Jersey’s food banks.

The toolkit offers resources tailored to pantries of all sizes, featuring adaptable strategies that meet the unique needs and capacities of each pantry and the communities they serve. Is your organization interested in reading the Growing Healthy Pantries Toolkit?

Fill out our Interest form to gain access to desired section(s). Once submitted, a Food Bank team member will contact you to provide the requested sections and review expectations.

Have questions or want to learn more? Contact Maryam Adeel at adeelm@norwescap.org or Call (908) 454-7000 office ext: 1176

Connect With Us

Donate to Support Norwescap

As part of a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization, Norwescap’s Food Bank relies on the on the generosity of our donors to support our operations and distribution of food to our charitable partners throughout our service area.

To learn more about how your donation will benefit families in communities like yours, contact: foodbank@norwescap.org

Donate Food

The Food Bank welcomes all non-perishable, shelf-stable foods. Our most-needed items include:

• Canned tuna & chicken
• Canned fruit & vegetables
• Canned soup, stew & chilli
• Box macaroni & cheese
• Shelf-stable milk
• Pastas & Pasta Sauces
• Peanut butter & Jelly
• Fruit Juice
• Hot & cold cereals

Volunteer With Us

The Food Bank and Thrift Store welcomes individual and group volunteers to help bring food to communities like yours.

For more information about volunteer opportunities, please contact Janet Bray, brayj@norwescap.org, or call us at 908-454-4322.

• All volunteers must be aged 12 or older. Teens aged 12-15 must be accompanied by an adult.
• Warehouse volunteers help Norwescap:
  • Sort and repack donated food items, and
  • Prepare backpacks for our Backpack Program.
• Thrift Store volunteers help Norwescap sort donated items.

Host a Food Drive

Food drives are powerful tools to make a direct impact; they provide much-needed healthful and nutritious foods for families, and raise awareness to the rising rates of hunger in communities like yours.

A food drive can be coordinated by anyone looking to make an impact! If you are interested in learning more about how to host a food drive of your own, complete the registration form below.

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The Norwescap Food Bank is an affiliate partner of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, a member of Feeding America.

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.