In central N.J. and across the nation, the numbers of people facing "food insecurity" - those without an assured ability to acquire nutritious foods in socially acceptable ways - are growing. One in 10 Americans are considered "food insecure".

In central N.J., those in need are our own neighbors - senior citizens on fixed incomes, single parent families, the unemployed, and the working poor - who struggle to make ends meet. They are young and old, living in families or alone.

More than 100,000 meals were served in the soup kitchen in 2006. 11% of the people we serve are children and 29% are 50 and older.

34.8 million Americans live in poverty, an increase of 1.3 million people over 2001 figures. The number of children in poverty rose by more than 600,000 during the same period to 12.2 million.

703,000 people live in poverty in New Jersey (8.4% of the state's pop.)

The number of NJ families living in poverty has increased 14% from 2002 to 2003.

Because of the high cost of living in NJ, a family of four needs twice the income of the federal poverty level of $20,000 to be self-sufficient. (need an income over $35K and up).

1.7 million people, a fifth of the state's population, are considered poor. (They earn less than twice the federal poverty line)