Rita Woods, the social worker at Emerson Community School, has been instrumental in the school's participation in the Central New Jersey Family Pack Food Bank Program for the past seven years. This program requires her to undergo training and become certified as a food handler, ensuring that the distribution of food is conducted in accordance with best practices monitored by the food bank.
Teachers at Emerson identify students who would benefit most from receiving food, and the response from parents has been overwhelmingly positive. Families eagerly pick up their food items every other Wednesday at dismissal, which includes a variety of nonperishable goods, fruits, and vegetables. This year, the program began with nonperishable foods, with plans to include fresh produce in the following distribution.
Families can receive essential items such as soup, pasta, canned meats, fruit cups, shelf-stable milk, and non-dairy products to meet their nutritional needs until the next distribution. The program typically serves about 70 families, providing 140 boxes of food every two weeks—one per family. Distribution is tailored to each family's specific needs.
The Union County Food Bank in Hillside was connected to Emerson through a Rutgers University intern who now works for the Plainfield Public Schools.