NJ Police Departments Join Soup Kitchen 411 To Distribute Meals

NEW JERSEY — The national organization Soup Kitchen 411 has enlisted the New Jersey State Policemen's Benevolent Association as one of its distribution partners.

Through its program FeedNJ, the Soup Kitchen 411 has already bought hundreds of meals to be distributed by PBAs in Elizabeth, Deal and Roselle Park. Thousands more meals are to be purchased and given out to other communities later this month.

"Community policing is a bedrock of building safer, stronger communities,” said NJ State PBA President Pat Colligan. "Being able to distribute food and share meals with the community beyond events like coffee with a cop and National Night Out against crime is a great way to build community trust."

Here are upcoming PBA meal services in New Jersey:

• Tuesday at noon: Roselle Park, at 314 Chestnut St.
• Tuesday at 11 a.m.: Trenton, at 225 N. Clinton Ave.
• Tuesday at 1 p.m.: Linden, at the Linden Housing Authority, 1601 Dill Ave.
• Friday at 5 p.m.: Ewing PBA, at 111 hall, 10 Chief William C Frost Ln.

FeedNJ is active in over 50 communities across New Jersey. It buys local meals in large quantities from small restaurants at retail prices to serve in the community.

"Our partnership with the NJ PBA enables us to fight hunger while supporting police-community relations,” said FeedNJ Chairman Kevin O’Toole in a statement. "Our restaurants love it, recipients love it, and food distribution partners, including these local police departments, love it.”

Last Tuesday, Bella Gina in Linden provided 200 meals for the Roselle Park event.

“Food brings people together, during good times and bad," said Bella Gina owner Anthony Garofalo. "I think it’s great that our local police are involved in serving meals to the community, building relationships and looking out for each other.”

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2021, about 42 million Americans may not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you