News

First Harvest Credit Union and EdiFi Credit Union, along with 13 participating New Jersey credit unions, shared the results of the New Jersey Credit Unions Food Cooperative. The program, created to help address the growing hunger crisis in New Jersey, collected and donated over 5,100 pounds of essential food items in total to support over 20 food pantries and organizations throughout the state.

This year’s collection period specifically targeted the heightened need for food during the summer months, when many children lose access to school-provided meals while on break. The New Jersey Credit Unions Food Cooperative helped replenish the shelves of local food pantries and organizations as a result of the increased need. All participating credit unions and their designated branches served as collection locations from July 21^st through August 31^st, providing broader geographic coverage across New Jersey. Each credit union branch directly supported a food pantry or organization within the community it serves.

Participating New Jersey credit unions include:

• EdiFi Credit Union (Co-Sponsor)
• First Harvest Credit Union (Co-Sponsor)
• Affinity Federal Credit Union
• Atlantic City Electric Company Employees Federal Credit Union
• Bay Atlantic Federal Credit Union
• Bridgeton Onized Federal Credit Union
• Community Financial Services Federal Credit Union
• Deepwater Industries Federal Credit Union
• Fort Billings Federal Credit Union
• Garden Savings Federal Credit Union
• Manville Area Federal Credit Union
• Members 1st of NJ Federal Credit Union
• Motion Federal Credit Union
• Princeton Federal Credit Union
• Ridgedale Federal Credit Union

Benefitting New Jersey food organizations include:

• Atlantic Cape Community College Food Pantry – Cape May Court House, NJ
• Beacon of Hope – Mount Holly, NJ
• Cathedral Kitchen – Camden, NJ
• Christian Caring Center – Browns Mill, NJ
• Feeding Hands - Hillsborough, NJ
• Flemington Food Bank – Flemington, NJ
• Food Bank Network of Somerset County - Bound Brook, NJ
• Franklin Food Bank – Somerset, NJ
• Greater Mount Moriah Baptist Church Food Pantry – Linden, NJ
• Hands Of Hope For The Community - Edison, NJ
• Interfaith Food Pantry Network - Morris Plains, NJ
• Main Street Food Pantry – Mays Landing, NJ
• No1HungryinEHC – Egg Harbor Township, NJ
• Rowan College of South Jersey Student Food Bank - Sewell, NJ
• Rowan University’s The Shop Pantry & Resource Center – Glassboro, NJ
• Second Baptist Church – Pedricktown, NJ
• Spirit & Truth Ministries - Vineland, NJ
• The Society of St. Vincent de Paul – Vineland, NJ
• Vineland Soup Kitchen - Vineland, NJ

“As not-for-profit credit unions, we have an inherent responsibility to uplift the communities we serve. New Jersey’s credit unions serve a wide variety of rural, urban and suburban communities.  There is a food inequity and affordability crisis that is impacting all of our residents. Credit unions have a proven ability to lead when there is a need to help those who are underserved. New Jersey’s credit unions are proud to lead on this important member-driven mission.” First Harvest President & CEO Mike Dinneen.

“We’re seeing the stress that the increased cost of food and necessities is having on our local communities. This effort to help those in need is perfectly consistent with the mission of the credit union movement to lift up individuals and families. It’s great to see so many of our credit union colleagues collaborating together towards this initiative.” EdiFi Credit Union President & CEO Jill Peterson