New Jersey Jewish News (12/9/15)
An elderly disabled former health-care worker — whose photographs of her walker and medicine bottles are part of a new exhibit launched by the New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition — told a group of 25 people who had gathered at the Cooperman JCC in West Orange that she cannot afford both proper nutrition and the cost of her monthly medication.
End Hunger
“When you are asked in the world to come, ‘What was your work?’ and you answer: ‘I fed the hungry,’ you will be told: ‘This is the gate of the Lord, enter into it, you who have fed the hungry.’” (Midrash to Psalm 118:17). Our Jewish tradition commands us to feed the hungry and not to be blind to their needs.
Join Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ as we heighten awareness and advocacy for the hungry and food insecure of New Jersey through the END HUNGER campaign, a year-long initiative featuring education, advocacy, and activism.
Food Insecurity is growing in NJ
- More than 1 million people in New Jersey suffer from food insecurity and hunger, joining the crisis of hunger that plagues millions of America.
- Almost half of these people are children and approximately 14 percent are elderly.
- Congressional cuts in the Farm Bill in 2014 to SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) make New Jersey one of the hardest hit states in the nation for those who are food insecure.
- Federation partner agencies and our local kosher and community food pantries are all experiencing the increased need.
It is a critical time to commit to finding a bi-partisan solution to ending hunger in New Jersey and around the country.
What You Can Do
EDUCATE
- Learn about hunger in our community, New Jersey, and the U.S. through community education programs
ADVOCATE
- Advocate for legislation and policies that help the hungry at the federal, state, and local level.
ACTIVATE
- Engage in anti-hunger county initiatives
- Volunteer through hands-on opportunities to help those in need
- Help sign up the elderly to receive SNAP
The FIGHT HUNGER Campaign is sponsored by Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, Jewish Family Service of Central NJ, and Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, and is guided by the Community Relations Committee of Greater MetroWest.
End Hunger News Coverage
View additional news stories here.
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Advocates for seniors seek action on hunger
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'Can you live on $16 (a month)?'
Photos show N.J.'s struggling senior citizens
NJ.com (12/8/15)
A photo exhibition in the West Orange-based JCC Metro West was launched Tuesday to bring awareness to the plight of seniors who don't have enough money for food. A press conference also attracted several area officials who are lobbying for government initiatives.
NJ Soul of Hunger:
The Hidden Reality of Hunger Among Seniors and the Disabled
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The NJ Soul of Hunger Exhibit and Press Conference features images taken by and of those in our community who struggle with hunger and economic insecurity. The exhibit is on display at the JCC MetroWest in West Orange from December 8 through December 21. The exhibit is hosted by the Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ (CRC) and the New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition. The Press Conference, sponsored by the Federation’s Community Relations Committee, brought together a distinguished panel of speakers, including legislators, clergy, and anti-hunger and seniors advocates, to urge bi-partisan solutions to the growing hunger crisis in New Jersey. The press conference coincided with the launch of a photo exhibit and highilghted the devastating consequences the hunger epidemic has on seniors and those with disabilities in our community.
Click on the images below to watch video news coverage of this event. |
The END HUNGER campaign is being underwritten by a generous grant from Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger