(Courtesy of JFCS) In March, Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Northern New Jersey (JFCS) received over $3,000 in grants from the Orthodox Union (OU) to purchase kosher food for its food pantries in Teaneck and Fair Lawn. These generous grants allowed JFCS to buy both kosher and kosher-for-Passover food for hungry families in Northern New Jersey.

Late last year, Michael Dworkis, who heads the food pantry and intake programs at JFCS, began to canvas the North Jersey area, looking for kosher meat options for the JFCS pantries. A short time later, Allison Deal, who founded the Resources for Kosher Food Distribution Program at the OU, contacted Michael to learn more about the pantries.

“Food scarcity continues to be an issue in Northern New Jersey. The JFCS kosher food pantries in Teaneck and Fair Lawn, serve over 160 families each year with families making over 575 visits to the pantries during the year,” says Michael.

Because the JFCS food pantries are aligned with the goals of the OU’s kosher food initiative, Allison presented JFCS to various grant funders in the hope of growing advocacy for the program and the communities it serves.

Due to Allison’s efforts, JFCS became the recipient of a $1,500 grant through the OU Maot Chitim program and Kedem. In addition, Berkshire Bank also granted $1,800 to the food assistance programs.

For those who need food for the Passover holiday, JFCS is currently scheduling appointments for the first two weeks of April in Teaneck and Fair Lawn. To learn more or to make an appointment, please call 201-837-9090. Appointments are completely confidential.

Rabbi Howard Jachter will sell the chametz for the Teaneck location, and Rabbi Andrew Markowitz will sell chametz on behalf of the Fair Lawn location. The pantry will be closed for Passover and will reopen on April 29.

For more information about JFCS or to make a donation, please visit www.jfcsnnj.org.