For 50 years the Franklin Food Bank (FFB) has aimed to help create a future where food security is a right, not a luxury, and it’s adapted over time to meet the community’s ever-changing and ever-growing needs.
“Celebrating 50 years isn’t just about how many meals we’ve distributed; it’s about how deeply we’ve evolved,” said Derek Smith, FFB’s executive director. “We recognized early on that a can of beans can’t solve a housing crisis or a health condition. Our job now is to provide access to food with dignity and then provide access to the resources − the social worker, the health screening, the education − to help our neighbors reclaim their stability.”
FFB began with a simple mission − to ensure no neighbor goes hungry. As the organization celebrates its golden anniversary in 2026, its mission has transformed into a comprehensive model of support, recognizing that hunger is often a symptom of deeper, interconnected challenges.
The anniversary comes at a critical time. Despite robust community support, the need for assistance is spiking. The FFB reports that it has recently distributed 20% more food than in previous years, reflecting a corresponding 20% increase in the number of clients walking through its doors.
“When we see a 20% spike in client visits, it’s not just a number; it represents thousands of hard-working families who are simply running out of road,” Smith said. “Food insecurity is crippling stability across the country, the state, the county. We need the community to understand that their support is the lifeline that keeps the lights on, the doors open, and our neighbors from having to make impossible choices between medicine and meals.”
The FFB is facing a demand unlike anything it’s seen. Once serving eight families monthly, it’s now serving more than 7,000 families monthly and distributing 3.5 million pounds of food annually.
“These are some challenging times,” Smith said. “People are confused, people are stressed, but we are always here on the front lines to make sure our neighbors have access to healthy, nutritious, and culturally relevant food.”
Franklin Food Bank serves more than 7,000 families monthly and distributes 3.5 million pounds of food annually.
The FFB began in 1975 when Millie Gaupp, a social services supervisor, rallied six local houses of worship to form a food bank.
The work was never easy. Food stocks were distributed faster than they could be replenished. They were forced to move between temporary, ill-equipped spaces − once operating out of a dirt-floor basement. In 1989, lacking food and funding, the Franklin Food Bank was forced to temporarily close its doors.
But the unwavering support of the community brought it back with a series of creative fundraising efforts that raised more than $30,000. Because the neighborhood refused to let hunger win, the FFB never closed again.
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Historically, the FFB ran one primary program. That changed in 2022 with the addition of the Community Distribution and Beyond Borders programs. The last two years have seen even more innovation.
And since moving to their current Churchill Avenue location in 2019, the FFB has experienced exponential growth with transformational impact.
The FFB has evolved far beyond a traditional warehouse model. The core of its food delivery remains the dignified Choice Pantry, affectionately named “Bodega Joe’s.” Neighbors can select from the wide variety of high-quality, nutritious, culturally relevant food from FFB’s shelves. The market allows neighbors to shop based on their own needs and preferences, promoting respect and autonomy − a model so successful it’s being replicated statewide.
“Our Bodega Joe’s Choice Pantry is the perfect example of our core belief − access to food is a human right and should be provided in an atmosphere of dignity and respect,” Smith said. “Needing help is nothing to be ashamed of. By giving our neighbors the power to choose their food in a bright, welcoming environment, we are validating their humanity. That dignity is just as nourishing as the fresh produce they take home.”
Franklin Food Bank’s “Bodega Joe’s” Choice Pantry allows neighbors to shop based on their own needs and preferences.
More innovation lies in FFB’s integrated wraparound services, designed to carve a path toward long-term self-sufficiency. These services include health screenings, nutrition workshops, financial literacy and resource navigation programs.
“We recognize that food insecurity is just a symptom of so many other challenges families in our community face,” Smith said.
Recognizing that poor nutrition exacerbates chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension, FFB provides regular medical screenings and referrals in partnership with local health care providers. This effort ensures neighbors receive the care needed to address comorbidities associated with hunger and malnutrition.
A dedicated on-site social worker is available during market hours to connect individuals and families with critical resources, including housing and employment assistance, utility help, and SNAP benefits enrollment. This targeted approach addresses the root causes of instability.
The FFB also hosts educational workshops covering subjects such as nutrition education, healthy meal preparation, financial literacy, and English classes. These programs empower neighbors with the skills and confidence to break the cycle of poverty and improve overall health.
“We are proud that our integrated model − combining food access, health services, and resource navigation − is being viewed as a blueprint for the future of emergency feeding organizations,” Smith said. “As we move beyond our 50th year, our goal is not just to be a safety net for Franklin, but to lead the way nationally in proving that a holistic, neighbor-centered approach is the only sustainable way to end hunger.”
A food pantry is an organization that serves people, while a food bank is an organization that serves organizations, and the Franklin Food Bank does both, said Director of Development Allie O’Brien.
The Client Choice model allows families and individuals to enter the facility and “shop” by choosing their own foods. The market is arranged like a small grocery store with typical food categories like produce, meats, dairy, frozen and bread. Clients call to schedule an appointment and once inside, they are checked in, grab a cart and shop for whatever they want to feed their families. A menu details the categories and items available.
Franklin Food Bank serves more than 7,000 families monthly and distributes 3.5 million pounds of food annually.
Hundreds of families shop each week when the Client Choice Market is open 2 to 7 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
Every visit, every bag is filled and every meal is given with dignity and respect for those in need, Smith said.
A Franklin resident is eligible for up to two visits per month at the Client Choice Market, while anyone can come to the monthly Community Distribution programs the first Wednesday of each month at the headquarters of the Franklin Township Community Relations Bureau (“the CRB”), 935 Hamilton St. in Somerset. The program begins at 11 a.m. and runs until 1 p.m. or when supplies are gone.
This program is run in partnership with the Franklin Police Department’s Community Relations Bureau and with volunteers from the YMCA of Somerset County. There are no requirements such as residency or appointments necessary for the community distribution program, which sees 300 cars and 100 walking guests with 26,000 pounds of food distributed on average at each event. That’s up to 1,000 boxes of produce as well as dry staple goods and beverages when available.
The Beyond Borders program is a collaborative effort with 40 other nonprofit organizations in which the FFB shares items.
FFB’s strategic partnerships extend its reach beyond Franklin, with programs reaching 15 cities in the state, ensuring food insecurity does not respect borders. The combined effort − which provided almost 2.6 million meals last year − demonstrates that an integrated model focused on dignity and long-term stability can transform lives.
As the Franklin Food Bank looks ahead to the next 50 years, the message is clear − the community’s support is vital for sustaining this holistic model. Every dollar donated goes not only toward food distribution but also toward the medical screenings, educational workshops, and professional counseling that are now fundamental to its mission of creating lasting, positive change.
“Fifty years of service is truly a community achievement,” Smith said. “It’s a testament to the thousands of volunteers, the local businesses, and the individual donors who built this foundation. As the need has grown and become more complex, the community’s answer has always been ‘Yes.’ We are standing on the shoulders of that sustained generosity, and we intend to honor it for the next 50 years.”
The FFB is planning a new facility to allow for increased capacity to better fulfill the ever-growing needs of the community and so the organization can continue to launch wraparound services and more.
Franklin Food Bank is at franklinfoodbank.org and 732-246-0009.
How to support the Needy Cases Fund
From Nov. 30 to Dec. 7, the Courier News, the Home News Tribune and MyCentralJersey.com are focusing on 11 organizations serving Central Jersey as part of the annual Needy Cases Fund program.
The Needy Cases Fund is a Central Jersey holiday tradition, stretching back more than 75 years. The community-service project has been sponsored by the Home News Tribune and its predecessor, the Daily Home News, working with the Lions Club of New Brunswick. The Courier News has joined the Home News Tribune in sponsoring the charity since 2020.
Send donations (checks made out to the Needy Cases Fund or cash) to: Needy Cases Fund, Home News Tribune/Courier News, 92 E. Main St., Suite 202, Somerville, NJ 08876. Please indicate with a note whether you wish to be acknowledged in a wrap-up story about the program, or whether you wish to remain anonymous.
Donations will be gratefully accepted through the end of December.
email: cmakin@gannettnj.com
Cheryl Makin is an award-winning feature, news and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com, part of the USA Today Network. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Franklin Food Bank sees spike in ‘hard-working families’ needing meals
