The Food Brigade offers various types of free assistance to people in need in New Jersey:

• Food Pantry with Online Ordering (weekly) - refrigerated, frozen, and non-perishable food items

• Mixed Produce Bags (weekly)

• Packaged Dinner Meals Program (periodic; restarting September 2022)

• Supermarket Gift Cards Program (periodic)

• Diapers (Infant & Adult) and Diaper Wipes (call 201-614-4414 for separate registration)

• Period Supplies Program

• Thanksgiving Distribution Program (November 2022)

HOW TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM THE FOOD BRIGADE

To qualify for assistance, you must fall within one of the following seven categories:

1. Recipient of TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)
2. Recipient of SNAP/Food Stamps
3. Recipient of SSI (Supplemental Security Income)
4. Recipient of WIC (Women, Infants and Children)
5. Recipient of Medicaid
6. Low Income (185% of Poverty - see below schedule)
7. Disaster (divorce, domestic violence, unusual expense, loss of employment)

If you qualify, in order to receive assistance from The Food Brigade:

1. complete and submit the Emergency Food Registration Form to receive food through the USDA's TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program);
2. complete and submit The Food Brigade's Client Registration Form to become a client of The Food Brigade, and have a brief intake interview with one of our staff.

These forms cannot be submitted via email or fax. Please see below for the acceptable submission procedures.

As a convenience, you can download the two above forms as a single download packet here:

Upon completing The Food Brigade's Client Registration Form, you can submit it either in person during our pantry hours of operation, or by mailing it to:

The Food Brigade Inc.
ATTN: Intake
P.O. Box 214
Paramus, NJ 07653 

If you send it through the mail, once we have received and reviewed your completed registration form, a representative of The Food Brigade will call to arrange for your intake interview.

The Emergency Food Registration Form for TEFAP food should be completed at our pantry, or submitted in person during our pantry hours of operation.

Do not submit either form to the USDA via its fax number or email address which appear on the above two forms. Forms are to be submitted only to The Food Brigade as set forth above.

ONLINE FOOD ORDERING SYSTEM

After your intake interview and you have become a client of The Food Brigade, you will be set up with an account in our ONLINE PANTRY system. Once you are registered in the system, you will be able to participate in our food distributions by logging in and requesting food and other items through the client portal.

All food distribution dates and times will be listed in the client portal. You must log in periodically to check the schedule and to sign up for our food distributions.

When you place an order in our Online Pantry system, you will see an Order Summary confirmation message on your screen. Print out the Order Summary and bring it with you when you come to pick up your order. You can also take a screenshot to show on your phone if you do not have access to a printer. You will also receive an email confirmation of your request. You may receive email and text message reminders of your scheduled visit. When you arrive at our site, you can quickly check in by displaying your client UPC code symbol (either printed or on your phone).

You must schedule an appointment and place an order through the client portal for each food distribution event at which you want to receive food. You should log in and check the schedule regularly to see when our food distribution dates are.

IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO PICK UP YOUR FOOD

If you need to have someone pick up your order on your behalf, both you and that person must sign and submit a Proxy Form. Proxies are allowed for sick and shut-in individuals only. Individual food recipients must designate their proxy in writing on an annual basis. After designating the proxy, the proxy may sign for food at ongoing food distributions. Click here for the Proxy Form.

 REFUSAL OF SERVICE

Although our mission is charitable in nature, you may be refused services if:

1. You make untrue or inaccurate statements in your registration application form or otherwise provide untrue or inaccurate information for your account.
2. You are abusive or threatening toward our staff or volunteers.
3. You fail or refuse to follow the instructions and direction of our staff or volunteers when receiving services (e.g., failing to follow the traffic directions given by staff upon picking up food from us, failure to wear a mask, etc.).
4. You fail to pick up food that you ordered and/or reserved, without contacting us to advise that you were unable to pick up.

LOCATION: Calvary United Methodist Church, 185 W. Madison Ave., Dumont, New Jersey (enter parking lot behind church off Cooper Ave.)

Click here for Non-Discrimination Statement.