Star Fish Food Pantry
Our mission: To provide emergency food assistance to families of Plainfield who find themselves in need. 

Giving A Hand Up — With Heart

Because everyone deserves food to nourish themselves and their families, and the dignity to stand tall, we are here to lift, not label. We partner with individuals, families, businesses, organizations, churches, and other local non-profits to help us meet food insecurity in Plainfield, NJ. It is a joyous undertaking, as shown in the photo below.

Star Fish Food Pantry provides essential support to those in need, promoting dignity, growth, and self-reliance

12,000+

Total number of people who were supported with food in 2025

We are Platinum and 4 Stars

You can trust us with your donations! We have gone through a rigorous review at Candid and at Charity Navigator, earning the highest ratings.

Candid

We earned a Platinum-level Candid Seal of Transparency for our nonprofit profile because we meet rigorous standards, both for policy and for financial matters. This rating gives our current and potential funders and donors the information they need to support us in our work.

Charity Navigator

Our score is 97%, which earned us a Four-Star rating, the highest rating awarded. "If this organization aligns with your passions and values, you can give with confidence." The overall score is calculated from multiple beacon scores, weighted as follows: 85% Impact & Measurement, 10% Leadership & Adaptability, 5% Culture & Community. 
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How We Help

At Star Fish, we provide food to those in need, ensuring no one goes without the basics. We do this through two programs - our weekly food distribution and our walk-up, twice monthly Plainfield Food Security Project.

Food Assistance through Partner Agencies

We partner with other Agencies to help assure that the people in need of food are assisted. Our volunteers ​check with these agencies two days each week to get lists of people in need; we then package food appropriate to the family sizes and makeup (# of adults, # of children), and deliver the packaged food to each agency where the families pick up their bags.

 Donate to Weekly Food

Plainfield Food Security Project

We began this project with the YMCA of Plainfield at the on-set of the Covid-19 pandemic. We continue it now and offer a walk-up food distribution on the second and fourth Thursdays each month at a local school facility building. Each family representative gets a grocery bag filled with food, including a dozen fresh eggs for protein. 

 Donate to PFSP
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Volunteering is its own Reward

Read what one of our weekly volunteers and a member of the Board of Director says about his service.

Eelco Swaak

"I started out volunteering to help me connect with people in need of assistance. I saw that Star Fish did such great things with enthusiasm and wanted to be a part of that effort. Working with other volunteers on a regular weekly schedule was very rewarding. Now I am also a Board member, utilizing my experience and skills to help manage logistics."
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