Habitat for Humanity West & Central Village Community Resource Hub Food Pantry
Pantry #11189
Habitat for Humanity Greater Newark opened its food pantry during the pandemic in response to the growing need for fresh, healthy food in the West & Central Ward of Newark, NJ. We currently provide 75 bags of groceries per week to families, seniors, and veterans, with a focus on fresh produce, 10 of those bags being delivered to home bound seniors. We are actively seeking additional support to sustain and expand our services. Our goal is to increase the number of families we serve and eventually open our doors twice a week. While we cannot yet meet the full demand of our neighborhood’s needs, we are exploring ways to bridge the gap and extend our reach. Our community, which includes many halal households, deserves access to healthy, fresh food.
We know that nutrition directly impacts overall well-being, both mentally and physically. That’s why we prioritize offering healthy and fresh produce such as collard greens, kale, apples, and oranges—foods our clients love and need. We welcome support from the community in any form—fresh food, and non-perishable items. Additionally, we are always in need of toiletries and other essentials. It truly takes a village to uplift a community.
ProducePedia is a free resource that covers the types of fresh produce that can be delivered to food pantries. Each entry includes information on color, taste, and possible uses. People unfamiliar with the vegetable or fruit will learn how to use it, and those who are familiar with it still might learn a fun fact or two!
The Cooperative Extension sites have a wealth of information for any backyard gardener. Once you go to the site (each one if very different from the others) look for a link for “homes and gardens”, “landscape”, “consumer horticulture”, etc. to find information on improving your backyard garden. Neighboring state sites may offer information your own state’s site lacks.