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Tuesday 11:30am - 4pm Wednesday 1pm - 6:30pm

The Food Brigade

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Paramus, NJ
The Food Brigade

MAILING ADDRESS:
The Food Brigade Inc. P.O. Box 214
Paramus, NJ 07653

The Food Brigade Inc. Our guiding principle is compassion for our fellow man.

The mission of The Food Brigade is to ensure that no child or adult in New Jersey goes hungry, and to establish food security for our neighbors facing poverty and systemic inequalities. is a NJ nonprofit corporation and a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. We accomplish our mission by (1) providing direct food assistance through our network of client-choice Community Markets, and (2) im

plementing a holistic approach which includes the offering of wraparound services to address the root causes of food insecurity. We strive to treat all who come to us for assistance with the highest level of dignity and respect, in a trauma-informed manner. We currently operate 3 food distribution centers for our neighbors dealing with food insecurity: the Bergen County Community Market (Dumont), Passaic County Community Market (Clifton), and Hudson County Community Market (Union City). BOARD OF TRUSTEES:
Karen DeMarco - President
Cathy Guinard - Treasurer
Doug Herrick - Secretary
Ifraz Ilyas
Gertha Kelly
Hugo Palacios
Jim Silvestri

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
Carmine DeMarco

DONATIONS: Donations may be made online, via Zelle, Venmo, or PayPal, or by check - please go to https://foodbrigade.org/donate. You can also text FEEDNJ to 53555 to donate.

05/27/2026

FRAC Report Finds School Districts Struggle to Feed Children Amid Policy Changes, Rising Costs

The Food Research and Action Center has found that the 2025–2026 school year opened amid significant threats to child nutrition programs, in its recently-issued "Large School District Report: A Snapshot of School Meals Participation and Operations in October 2025" which analyzes survey findings from 96 large school districts across the country.

Eighty-one school districts (84 percent) reported high food costs; 78 school districts (81 percent) reported increased labor costs; and 71 school districts (74 percent) reported concerns regarding how deep cuts to SNAP and Medicaid in H.R. 1 will affect school meal administration and participation. The Passaic School District is one of the areas covered in the report.

While nearly all schools included in the report offered both breakfast and lunch, far too many eligible children are missing out on school breakfast. In October 2025, these districts combined served 47.8 million lunches but only 26.8 million breakfasts.

School districts also reported that infrastructure challenges limited their ability to increase school meal participation and shared their concerns about the ripple effect that dramatic cuts to SNAP in H.R. 1 will have on child nutrition programs. Millions of people are losing SNAP benefits, and when families lose access to SNAP, children also lose direct certification for free school meals, putting them at risk of increased food insecurity.

“The need to expand and fortify school meals programs has never been more urgent. As states assume greater financial responsibility under new SNAP provisions in H.R. 1, prioritizing equitable access to free, nutritious school meals becomes a critical safeguard from hunger for the millions of children whose families are struggling to put food on the table,” said Crystal FitzSimons, president of FRAC.

Food Research & Action Center Passaic County Passaic County Food Policy Council Passaic Public Schools Passaic City Hall

05/26/2026

WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEERS! The impact of The Food Brigade, and the number of our neighbors in need who receive assistance, is the result of our amazing volunteers. Meet two of our recent Volunteers of the Month at our Clifton location. Chris White (left, with Food Brigade president Karen DeMarco) has been volunteering with The Food Brigade since September 2024, and is an integral part of our food rescue and warehouse operations. Paul Beshaw (right) joined us at the beginning of the year and "earned his stripes" early on with his work in our warehouse and pantry stocking operations. Thank you, Chris and Paul, for all that you do on behalf of local residents dealing with food insecurity!

Want to contribute to your community, while being part of a team where you get to work alongside warm, caring, kind-hearted people? Then "enlist" in the Brigade! Detailed information about volunteering, including our online volunteer application form, is at www.FoodPantryVolunteer.com. Sign up today!

[The Food Brigade is a proud Partner Agency of The Community FoodBank of New Jersey, with locations in Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic Counties.]

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey Passaic County Passaic County Food Policy Council UnitedWay Passaic Clifton City Manager Clifton Health Department New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate

05/23/2026

Part of the work of The Food Brigade is supporting students dealing with food insecurity. This includes periodically donating snack packages to Eastside High School in Paterson, for distribution in their Student Character Leadership Development program. Recently, The Food Brigade donated 200 snack packages which included a cereal bar, juice box, applesauce cup, tuna fish, a Chef Boyardee item, raisins, macaroni & cheese, and cranberries. These packages were actually assembled at our organization's Clifton warehouse by another group of students, from the Academy of the Holy Angels in Demarest.

According to the Paterson Board of Educations, roughly 95% of the student population meets the federal low-income thresholds required to receive free daily school breakfasts and lunches. For a substantial portion of high-schoolers, the breakfast, lunch, or free after-school dinners served on campus represent the only consistent nutrition they consume in a 24-hour period.

Please support the work of The Food Brigade in the fight against food insecurity among New Jersey's students: go to www.PantryDonation.com. Thank you.

[The Food Brigade is a proud Partner Agency of The Community FoodBank of New Jersey.]

Passaic County Passaic County Food Policy Council City of Paterson - City Hall Paterson Public Schools

05/22/2026

On Wednesday, May 20, The Food Brigade was visited at our Bergen County Free Community Market in Dumont by some friends from CUMAC in Paterson. Similar to our own organization's mission, CUMAC’s mission is to fight hunger and its root causes through a holistic, trauma-informed approach that provides groceries and basic necessities to families and individuals in need. CUMAC is one of the local organizations with which we mutually share food resources, as we did for them on Wednesday. Pictured from left to right are Karen DeMarco, Food Brigade President; Hector Soriano, CUMAC's Warehouse Supervisor; and Christian Mundo, CUMAC's Inventory Specialist & I.T. Manager. Christian and Hector have each previously visited our Passaic County Community Food Security Center in Clifton, so it was a pleasure to be able to host them at our Bergen County location. We can help a lot more people when we all work together, than any one of us can on our own. Thank you to our colleagues at CUMAC for your partnership and your friendship.

[The Food Brigade is a proud Partner Agency of The Community FoodBank of New Jersey at each of our locations in Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic Counties.]

New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate New Jersey Economic Development Authority Passaic County Bergen County Board of Commissioners Bergen County, NJ CUMAC: Feeding People and Changing Lives Bergen County Office of Food Security Speaker Craig J. Coughlin Shama Haider Borough of Dumont, New Jersey City of Paterson - City Hall Passaic County Food Policy Council

05/21/2026

Greetings from the Early Market Shift crew at our Bergen County Free Community Market in Dumont! Among our locations in Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic Counties, this was our first, and has progressed from a drive-through food box distribution during the COVID pandemic, to a custom-order online system, then to a table-distribution style client choice pantry, and most recently to a grocery store setting which incorporates nutrition education and "healthy nudges" alongside principles of trauma-informed care. No one can say what the future of the food assistance system will look like in New Jersey, with multiple sectors embarking to pursue the vision and game plan set forth by New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate, but at The Food Brigade we will always strive to provide our our neighbors dealing with food insecurity with the highest level of dignity, respect, and caring.

[The Food Brigade is a proud Partner Agency of The Community FoodBank of New Jersey.]
Bergen County Board of Commissioners Bergen County, NJ Bergen County Office of Food Security Borough of Dumont, New Jersey

05/18/2026

On Monday, May 18, The Food Brigade was joined by our friends from Unidam-Rodamco-Westfield (creator and operator of over 80 retail, office, and lifestyle destinations worldwide, including the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, NJ), in a day of corporate service at our Passaic County Community Food Security Center in Clifton. The volunteers learned about the state of food insecurity in New Jersey, and the background and operations of our organization in Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic Counties, and they helped with the unloading of incoming food deliveries and the organization of our Free Community Market. Thank you to all of our friends at URW for your support and partnership in the fight against food insecurity in New Jersey!

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey Westfield Garden State Plaza New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate Hunger Free New Jersey New Jersey Economic Development Authority Passaic County

05/14/2026

On Tuesday, May 12, The Food Brigade was joined by our friends at Jaguar Land Rover N.A. (headquartered in Mahwah, NJ), in a day of corporate service at our Passaic County Community Food Security Center in Clifton. The volunteers learned about the state of food insecurity in New Jersey, what's being done at the state level by New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate, and the background and operations of our organization in Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic Counties. Then, they got to work - receiving food deliveries from Sysco Foods and The Community FoodBank of New Jersey, stocking our Community Market, and working in our warehouse! Thank you to all of our friends at Jaguar Land Rover for your support and partnership in the fight against food insecurity in New Jersey.

04/29/2026

HONORING OUR VOLUNTEERS! Meet two of The Food Brigade's Clifton crew, who were recognized recently by President Karen DeMarco as Volunteers of the Month! Mike Protopapas (left) joined us last August and has already put in over 320 volunteer hours. George Hariton (right) has contributed nearly 100 hours since joining us in September. Mike and George are both key volunteers at our Passaic County Community Food Security Center in Clifton, and in Karen's words, "None of the work of The Food Brigade would be possible without amazing volunteers like Mike and George!"

The Food Brigade is a proud Partner Agency of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey.

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey New Jersey Economic Development Authority New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate Passaic County Food Policy Council Passaic County Clifton Health Department

04/28/2026

Scenes from today's shopping hours at our Bergen County Free Community Market. We love our amazing volunteers, and the warm and welcoming environment they create for our guests! Yesterday's volunteers at our Bergen County location included Kim Barbagallo, Joan Byrd, Sandra Caufield, Karen DeMarco, Mary Dolan, Jim Drobinske, Meredith Drobinske, Carol Duhlberg, Jeanne Etter, Janet Gregoire, Susan Jannucci, Abbe Kaufer, Mary Kearney, Sharon Klein, Phyllis Lane, Dina Lebow, Leigh Ann Licameli, Donna Moloznik, Thomie Nista Chaffardet, Kevin OBrien, Rene Ruiz, Amy Taub, and Doris Valentin. Thank you to all for what you do for our neighbors dealing with food insecurity!

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate New Jersey Economic Development Authority Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco Bergen County, NJ Bergen County Board of Commissioners Borough of Dumont, New Jersey

Address

33 E. Midland Avenue, #214
Paramus, NJ
07653

Opening Hours

Tuesday	11:30am - 4pm
Wednesday	1pm - 6:30pm

Telephone

+12016144414

Website

http://foodbrigade.org/

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