Who We Are
The Bradley Food Pantry is an all-volunteer organization that has been serving our neighbors in need in coastal Monmouth County communities for more than 40 years. Shortly after opening its doors in 1982, the Pantry expanded to five days a week, later adding one evening to accommodate many of our clients who work full time. More than 150 volunteers from all walks of life offer their time, talents, and passion to keep the Pantry operating smoothly. An all-volunteer Board of Trustees oversees all operations. Bradley Food Pantry Inc is a 501(c)3 non-profit.
How We Serve
For decades, Pantry volunteers packed standard bags of food staples for each client who arrived, sometimes able to meet specific requests. The COVID-19 pandemic presented significant challenges, but the Pantry did not miss a day, continuing to provide pre-packed bags to those in need. Under the leadership of Director Linda Curtiss, the post-pandemic Pantry moved to a “client-choice” style of operations, set up more like a market, where food is on open display and patrons choose the food they need for their families. This greatly enhanced patron independence, reduced food waste, and provided a much-welcome model for all involved. In addition, through partnerships with farmers and others, we have substantially increased the availability of seasonal fresh produce and healthier food options. We will remain a “choice” Pantry where people who come to us are welcomed, given a shopping cart, and invited to take the food they need to feed their family for the week.
Where Our Food Comes From
The Pantry enjoys significant support from Fulfill (the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties), as well as several local supermarkets, restauranteurs, farms, and neighbors who provide continual donations. The pantry also maintains its own vegetable garden on the church property, overseen by volunteers. That said, we still spend $10,000 a month purchasing food in order to have a full complement of the staples needed by our families and we always appreciate donations of food and personal hygiene products as well as financial contributions, which allow us to feed even more families.
Our Increasing Need
Our statistics show that the Pantry’s numbers have increased 70% in just the last two years. We now assist nearly 500 families a week.
The pandemic aftermath has not been kind to those who come to us for assistance. They faced a double whammy of rising prices and falling benefits. Average rents in Asbury Park, for example, increased 13% in the past year, while food prices increased overall by 15% in the past two years. COVID-related SNAP benefits were eliminated, and the Enhanced Child Tax Credit ended. Although many of our clients work, their jobs do not pay a living wage in Monmouth County. Thus, the number of families served by the Bradley Food Pantry rose dramatically over the past two years. Daily visits, which averaged 27 in August 2021, tripled to an average of 75-80 in July 2023.
But numbers are not our full story. None of our patrons are faceless statistics. They are moms, dads, seniors and children who start the day without breakfast or end the week with no food in the fridge. And we know that asking for help is never easy. That is why every single person who comes to us for food – be it once a week, once a month or once a year – counts. And they count on us to be constant in an increasingly unpredictable world.
Our History
In 1982, Eleanor Pierson, in conversation with her priest at St. James Episcopal Church, started the Bradley Food Pantry to provide food to the growing number of people who were knocking on the church doors looking for help in feeding their families. So began the journey that is today's Pantry. What began as a small, informal offering has grown into a large and vital feeding program that serves thousands of clients each year and provides food security and hope for the vulnerable in Bradley Beach and surrounding communities. For more on the history and evolution of the Pantry, click here.
For More Information
Bradley Food Pantry Press Kit - with info sheets on our Mission, History, Fiscal Management, Board of Trustees, Patrons, Operations, Volunteers and Contacts
Bradley Food Pantry Sponsorship Overview - a presentation that highlights our fundraising plans for 2024.