North Bergen Community Food Pantry

North Bergen Food Pantry and Rose Garden Bowl partner to help bring Christmas to more than 100 area youths

By Press Release
Dec 15, 2020, 12:39pm

Press release:

The North Bergen Community Food Pantry and the Bergen business, Rose Garden Bowl, have worked together to assure that more than 100 area children experience some of the magic of the holidays in the form of Christmas stockings this year.

This is the second year that the two organizations have collaborated on their Christmas Angel Stocking Program, soliciting donations of stockings filled with toys and personal items.

Donations are being made by bowling league members and patrons of Rose Garden Bowl, members of the North Bergen Presbyterian Church and the First Presbyterian Church of Byron congregations, and local families.

The number of stockings donated has more than doubled — from 45 in 2019 to 109 stockings in 2020. In all more than 60 generous donors have gathered items for the stockings that will be distributed to 47 families. Recipients of the stockings are largely families that are clients of the North Bergen Food Pantry.

“We’ve seen a 100-percent increase in patrons visiting the pantry since March,” said Dave Fish, pastor at the North Bergen Presbyterian Church that organizes the Pantry services. “There has always been, and will always be, need in our community but the impact that COVID is having on families in our region is devastating.

"It’s the pantry's mission to lessen that impact by feeding both body and spirit. Assuring that children experience some of the magic of Christmas is an important ingredient of that mission.”

“We believe in giving back to our community and was encouraged by the response of our Rose Garden Bowl family of patrons to our request for stocking sponsors this year” said Christina Sardou, co-owner at Rose Garden Bowl. “Initially I was concerned that the number of people who could participate might be affected by the pandemic, but the opposite was true. Peoples’ eagerness to assist has been both humbling and inspiring.”

The program started in 2019 when Sardou suggested the idea of partnering on the program.

“Dave and I had had a few conversations about the Food Pantry and we had stored some surplus frozen foods for the pantry at times when their space was limited,” Sardou said. “During these conversations, I asked if he had considered doing something for local children at Christmas, and described how the Church and the Rose Garden Bowl family and friends might collaborate to create a Christmas stocking drive. The rest is history.”

The North Bergen Community Food Pantry — North Bergen Presbyterian Church, 7068 N. Bergen Road, Bergen. Pantry hours: the third and fourth Wednesday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m. and the third and fourth Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information visit the Pantry’s Facebook page.

Rose Garden Bowl and Viking Valhalla Restaurant — 21 Buffalo Road, Bergen. (585) 494-9900). Family-owned and operated since 1954. For more information about banquets, bowling and volleyball, visit rosegardenbowl.com or on Facebook.

Byron-Bergen Faculty Association ponies up $3,100 to help stock the North Bergen Community Food Pantry

By Billie Owens
May 19, 2020, 1:55pm

From Reverend David Fish, North Bergen Presbyterian Church:

Bergen – The North Bergen Community Food Pantry, a partner of FoodLink, opened its doors in the summer of 2019. Founder and coordinator Reverend David Fish said he knew that there was community need, but could not have anticipated the unusual circumstances brought on by COVID-19.

Since food pantries nationwide are receiving an increase in requests from families, the Byron-Bergen Faculty Association (BBFA) decided to collect monetary donations from faculty and staff to support the local community.

On April 30, Rev. Fish received a check for $3,100 from the BBFA.

“There are no words to express how appreciative I am for this generous donation,” Rev. Fish said. “The donated funds will be used to purchase food for the pantry, to feed our community, and find ways to reach out to those living in poverty. It is truly a donation that stays in the neighborhood.”

“The BBFA and its members have a long-standing tradition of helping people in the community when it is needed most,” said Byron-Bergen Social Studies teacher and BBFA President Ken Gropp.

“In this unprecedented situation, the BBFA members and the District's administrative team saw an opportunity to provide assistance where it was most needed in our community. All of us care deeply about our students and their families. This was a great opportunity for all of us to continue to show it.”

The idea was originally brought to the BBFA by Jr./Sr. High School Music teacher Lawrence Tallman.

“When they announced the need for donations back in March, I decided to share it with the faculty in hopes that we may receive some canned goods and nonperishables,” Tallman said. “I knew we had a generous faculty, but this generosity really overwhelmed and humbled me. It makes me so proud to be a part of this district!”

In less than a year, the North Bergen Community Food Pantry grew from serving fewer than 20 people to hundreds. Last month, the food pantry distributed food to more than 200 people.

At a time of heavy layoffs and social distancing, Rev. Fish has seen many new faces as well as familiar faces coming more often.

“I want people to feel safe and know that there is no judgment,” Rev. Fish said. “This is exactly what we are here for. It is important to feed people.”

For more information on the North Bergen Community Food Pantry call "Pastor Dave" Fish at (585) 290-5487, or visit the North Bergen Presbyterian Church's Facebook Page.

Pictured: North Bergen Community Food Pantry. Photo credit: Reverend David Fish.

Subscribe to North Bergen Community Food Pantry