Here’s something that’ll restore your faith in financial institutions: seventeen credit unions across New Jersey just teamed up to tackle summer hunger in a big way.
We’re talking over 5,500 pounds of food donated to communities throughout the state.
The third annual New Jersey Credit Unions Food Cooperative, spearheaded by First Harvest Credit Union, Affinity Federal Credit Union, and EdiFi Credit Union, wrapped up another successful year of keeping pantry shelves stocked when they’re typically running on empty. And the timing? Absolutely crucial.
Why Summer Hits Different (And Not in a Good Way)
While most of us associate summer with beach trips and barbecues, it’s actually a crisis period for food insecurity. When school lets out, thousands of kids suddenly lose access to the meals they rely on during the school year. Food pantries see demand spike right when donations typically drop off. It’s a perfect storm of bad timing.
That’s where this cooperative comes in. From June 15th through August 31st, participating credit union branches across the state became collection hubs, gathering essential food items and funneling them directly to local pantries and organizations. The genius part? Each branch supported organizations in its own community, creating a truly grassroots impact across 16 New Jersey counties.
Seventeen Credit Unions, One Mission
This wasn’t a solo effort. Here’s the full lineup of credit unions that made it happen:
- Affinity Federal Credit Union (Co-Sponsor)
- EdiFi Credit Union (Co-Sponsor)
- First Harvest Credit Union (Co-Sponsor)
- ACE Federal Credit Union
- Advanced Financial Federal Credit Union
- Bay Atlantic Federal Credit Union
- County Excellence Federal Credit Union
- Deepwater Industries Federal Credit Union
- Elizabeth, NJ Firemen’s Federal Credit Union
- Healthcare Employees 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
- Seaport Federal Credit Union
- The Atlantic Federal Credit Union
Where the Food Actually Goes
Those 5,500+ pounds didn’t just disappear into a warehouse somewhere. They went directly to over two dozen organizations working on the front lines of food insecurity. The beneficiaries span the entire state, from college food pantries to church-based programs to community kitchens:
- Abundant Life Food Pantry – Edgewater Park
- Atlantic Cape Community College Food Pantry – Cape May Court House
- Casano Community Center Food Pantry – Roselle Park
- Cathedral Kitchen – Camden
- CGS Family Support Organization – Vineland
- Disciple Pantry at Asbury United Methodist Church – Woodstown
- Feeding Hands Pantry – Hillsborough
- Food Bank Network of Somerset County – Bound Brook
- Holy Trinity-West Orange Food Pantry – West Orange
- HomeFront – Lawrenceville
- Interfaith Food Pantry Network – Morris Plains, NJ
- Lunch Break – Red Bank
- Main Street Food Pantry at First Union Methodist Church – Mays Landing
- Princeton Mobile Food Pantry – Princeton
- Rowan College of South Jersey Student Food Bank – Sewell
- Rowan University’s The Shop Pantry & Resource Center – Glassboro
- Sister Jean’s Kitchen, Pantry & Garden – Atlantic City
- St John’s Roman Catholic Church – Newark
- St. Peter’s Community Food Pantry – Clarksboro
- The Community Food Bank of South Jersey – Egg Harbor Township
- The SHARE Alliance – Springfield
- The Westfield Food Pantry – Westfield
- The Samaritan Center – Glassboro
- Vineland Community Kitchen – Vineland
What the Leaders Are Saying
Mike Dinneen, President and CEO of First Harvest Credit Union, put it perfectly: “As not-for-profit credit unions, we see firsthand that change is strongest when it is driven by collective effort. Across New Jersey’s rural, urban, and suburban communities, food inequity and affordability challenges continue to affect too many of our neighbors. By coming together around a shared purpose, credit unions can combine our resources, reach, and commitment to create a greater impact than any one organization could achieve alone.”
EdiFi Credit Union’s President and CEO Jill Peterson highlighted the economic reality driving increased need: “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.”
Kevin Brauer, President and CEO of Affinity Federal Credit Union, emphasized the cooperative spirit behind the effort: “As food insecurity continues to impact communities across New Jersey, it’s more important than ever for organizations to come together and help expand access to healthy, affordable food. At Affinity, we believe in the power of the cooperative model, people helping people, and this initiative is a meaningful example of credit unions working together to make a positive difference in the communities we serve.”
In a world where “corporate social responsibility” often feels like buzzword bingo, it’s refreshing to see financial institutions actually walking the walk. Three years running, these credit unions are proving that collective action beats individual effort every time—especially when feeding your neighbors is on the line.