The Sharing Place Serves Food Insecure Families in Jersey City

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The Sharing Place at St. Paul Lutheran Church offers bags of groceries or ready-made meals to needy people on the last two Saturdays of every month, 8 am to noon. We serve nutritious food to over 600 families and individuals per month. This number has grown at a rate of about 15% per year.

Any indigent person who lives in the state of New Jersey, is welcome to receive food at the Sharing Place. We ask for documents proving identity, address if any, identity of persons in the household, and income. (A welfare card fulfills all these requirements.) No referral is necessary.
The Sharing Place is held in the parish hall behind the church building. We have a large indoor waiting area and a system of numbers so that clients are seen in the order in which they arrived. The line begins early. Clients must arrive before noon to be served.
Volunteers

We need 15-20 volunteers each Saturday of operation to fully staff the Sharing Place. Many volunteers are members and friends of St. Paul Church, but many come from the neighborhood and from community groups. Some volunteers carry boxes of food, but there are lighter jobs too, including packing bags or making baloney-and-cheese sandwiches. We also need volunteers to unload the food truck on the third Wednesday of each month, approximately 8:00 am. If you would like to help our indigent neighbors by serving at the Sharing Place, please contact the church office at 201.963.5518.
Supporters

The Sharing Place feeds some 6,000 families and individuals annually. The NJ State Food Purchase Program and USDA commodities help stretch our food dollars. The Community Food Bank of New Jersey provides one-stop shopping for all our food needs. Our primary funders are the Jersey City Office of Community Development and the Hudson County Office of Community Development. Additional funders include the Appaloosa Group, Bayonne Community Bank, the Tower Group, the Ethical Community Charter School, Let’s Celebrate, Shoprite, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Recently several organizations given us the proceeds of food drives. A big thank-you goes to the Ethical Community Charter School, Lakeview Day Camp, Jersey City Public School 25, Struleman and Brioglio Physical Therapy, and Yoga in the Heights.
To make a donation or learn more, call 201.963.5518.
Food Drive Wish List

The Sharing Place appreciates all donations, whether cash or food. Here is a list of food items that are most useful to our needy neighbors:
Shelf stable milk such as Parmelat
Canned vegetables and fruit
Cold cereal or oatmeal
Juice in plastic bottles (no glass, please)
Peanut butter and jelly
Macaroni and cheese
Pasta and sauce
Baby formula
Baby food jars
Diapers
Visit The Sharing Place online.