'Access with dignity': Franciscan food pantry in Fairview is back as 'choice-style'

FAIRVIEW — The Franciscan Community Development Center of Fairview celebrated the grand reopening of its food pantry space, which after months of renovation has been transformed into a client-choice pantry model, the first of its kind in the community.

The improvements were made possible by a partnership among Bergen County, the Archdiocese of Newark, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey and Habitat for Humanity of Bergen County. The demolition of the existing pantry began in October 2022, with pantry operations moving to a temporary space on church grounds.

“Today we unveil a new beginning at the FCDC, to expand food access with dignity,” said Bergen County Commissioner Tracy Zur, also the liaison to the task force. “This renovation, which exemplified collaboration between all sectors, will enable a choice-style food pantry and an even greater abundance of healthy food to be distributed. They will be changing health outcomes and changing lives.”

The Bergen County Food Security Task Force helped with grants in Fairview and throughout the county’s other food pantries with $15,000 grants. Zur said there have been two rounds of grants with more than 60 applicants. Money has gone toward refrigerators, freezers, computers and anything else needed to be long-term sustainable.

“We are trying to make sure they’re ready for the marathon of food insecurity from the pandemic,” Zur said. “In the 2008 recession, studies showed the peak of food insecurity was two years later and didn’t recede back for almost a decade.”

In Fairview, the original plan was to fix the floor. When work began, larger challenges were discovered and the center began working with the Archdiocese of Newark and Habitat for Humanity for “generous donations” where the whole community rallied to get the pantry back up and functioning, Zur said.

The Habitat for Humanity Grey Heads donated services and materials from RSC Architects and the Kuiken Brothers Company helped rebuild the pantry from the ground up.

“Thank you to the many partners in this project, who through their efforts will help turn Fairview from a food desert to an oasis," The Franciscan Community Development Center Director Su Colacurcio said. "The work that everyone has put in here lives up to the code of St. Francis: we did what was necessary and what was possible, in order to make the impossible happen.”

Improvements to the space include a redesigned layout that will allow for the client's choice pantry model and a new walk-in refrigerator and freezer to help receive more perishable items including meats and fresh produce. There is a new loading and receiving area for deliveries and a new ADA-compliant entrance and bathroom. The opening of the new pantry space will also allow FCDC to convert its temporary pantry space to help provide additional services and programs for clients.

At the peak of the pandemic, the pantry served 1,800 people per month — and now it’s climbed to over 4,000. “The sisters have really taken on this mission with full hearts to make sure the community’s nutrition needs are provided for,” Zur said. “They’re helping residents with the dignity of hot meals, culturally appropriate food, and healthy options.”

Throughout the construction and renovation of the pantry, Franciscan remained open and continued to serve nearly 800 families and 4,000 individuals.

“The Franciscan Community Development Center is a community lifeline for thousands of residents in eastern Bergen County every single day,” Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco said. “Know that Bergen County remains steadfast in our commitment to support our emergency food providers through the Task Force as we work toward ending hunger in Bergen County once and for all.”

During the pandemic, many pantries were forced to offer pre-packaged boxes of food. Now, there is space to give people the opportunity to pick out their own food as if they were in a supermarket and have a choice. “It’s a big step toward empowerment and be able to pick out dietary needs and culturally needed food and more healthy food options,” Zur said.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Franciscan center food pantry in Fairview reopens as 'choice-style'