PARSIPPANY — The Interfaith Food Pantry and Resource Center (IFPRC) announced a new partnership with St. Peter the Apostle Church and the Town of Parsippany-Troy Hills to expand its Healthy Choices Mobile Pantry program to assist the families who regularly visit those food pantries. In partnership with the Community Food Bank of NJ, the IFPRC is bringing its “Free Farmers Market” to St. Peter’s Church for distribution to families already receiving non-perishable items from the Church and Town pantries.
“There are families in Parsippany who may not have access to healthy food options and therefore we are very excited to work with St. Peter’s and the Town Health Department to bring fresh produce to their clients”, said Carolyn Lake, IFPRC’s Executive Director. “By partnering with these two agencies we can enhance the variety of food these families receive without duplicating efforts.”
The Mobile “Free Farmers Market” takes place once per month at St. Peter the Apostle Church on Beverwick Road. Recipients must be registered with St. Peter’s or the Parsippany-Troy Hills Health Department to qualify. During the first Free Farmers Market held in June, 45 families were served, and this number is expected to grow to over 100.
“Our families are so grateful to receive the fresh fruits and vegetables that we just don’t have the refrigeration to handle”, said Donna Ferguson, St. Peter the Apostle Church. “We’re very excited to finally be able to help them gain access to healthier options”
The IFPRC’s Healthy Choices Mobile Pantry program was launched in 2017. Utilizing an existing network of smaller food pantries, low-income senior housing units and Morris County Nutrition Sites, both non-perishable and fresh items are distributed to those who cannot get to our IFPRC Pantries located in Morristown and Morris Plains. Last year, 17% of the 1.2 million pounds of food distributed by IFPRC was through its Mobile program. For more information, visit www.mcifp.org.
