News and Updates
Thursday Crew
The regular Thursday crew with some supplemental summer helpers pose while they pause preparing bags for food for the hungry. Every two weeks 150 bags are prepared for the Plainfield Food Security Project, and this is the first step - inserting the brown grocery bags into the biodegradable green "plastic" bags. Why the quotes? because our plastic bags are made from vegetable oils, not petrochemicals, so they compost within weeks!
StudentHelpers Make a Difference
We enjoyed the help provided during the summer by students, some of whom gain community service credits and others who just want to help. Students from St. Joseph High School, Fanwood-Scotch Plains High School, Watchung Hills Regional High School, South Plainfield High School and Indiana University have pitched in to help. Whether its working in the Pantry to prepare bags of food and then help deliver them to the Plainfield Food Security Project, or going on a shopping run to Aldi or Costco and then carrying the goods down to the Pantry and putting them away, every minute of their help is sincerely appreciated. We thank all of them for their service to our Pantry and to our clients in need.
Family Food Donation
We were contacted by new friends who had food to donate from the family home in South Plainfield. The elderly mom moved from her home to be with her family who could better care for her at their home. She left lots of food in her pantry, as shown in the images below. It was all brought out to the front porch, ready for us to pick up for our pantry. We thank Lisa and Josephine for finding us and honoring us with this gift of food.
Postal Workers Food Drive
We were again the beneficiaries of the local Postal Workers' union food drive, bringing us almost 2,000 pounds of food. Pictured below are the volunteers recruited to help sort and shelve the various food items, as shown in the photo at right. Many thanks to our friend Nancy Piwowar who is the person responsible for partnering the Postal Workers' union with us every year.
KEYSTONE PLASTICS ARE NEW FRIENDS OF STAR FISH
Thanks to Linda Catalano (c), Millie Guzman (l)and the owners and workers at Keystone Plastics in South Plainfield for their recent food drive. They contacted us and said they’d chosen our pantry for their drive because they saw on our website how much we do for the people of Plainfield who are hungry and find themselves in need of assistance. Not only did they give us food, but they also donated eighty brand new blankets, some pictured at left. We learned from another of our friends, Carmen Salavarrieta of Angels for Action that the displaced families in Plainfield often ask for blankets. We gave them out at the Plainfield Food Security Project. Thanks, Keystone, and welcome to the family of Star Fish Friends!
Plainfield Food Security Project
Still going strong (isn't it sad that so many people still need this help?), this project provides a grocery bag of essentials and a dozen fresh eggs twice a month to a walk-up site at Parking Lot #7 at Park Avenue and East Seventh Street in Plainfield.
We'd like to see the line get smaller, but it just grows and grows. Thanks to our financial supporters and our food donors for helping us meet this need.
The line stretches to the sidewalk and beyond as families wait patiently for food.
We often receive other items like hats and gloves that are available through a ticket system.
Waiting for food, our guests often pitch in to help. Here these two young women are putting eggs in each bag.
Here are those blankets donated by Keystone Plastics in South Plainfield.
SOMERSET COUNTY FOOD BANK
Through one of our Star Fish Friends, we received a very generous donation of applesauce to help us with one of the staples of our weekly food orders. Our director, Patty Bixel, took a ride to the Somerset County Food Bank at the invitation of Lynne Draper, a SCFB volunteer (left in left photo below). Patty had a tour of their warehouse facility and came away quite impressed with their organization and types of food they have available.
Patty also came away with a carload of canned applesauce, always a nice treat to add to weekly food orders. Helping load up the car is Jessica Nichols, Operations Manager at SCFB. Thanks, Lynne and Jessica, for this donation!
New and Old(er) Donors
Students at Grant Elementary School in South Plainfield held a food drive for us in November and collected lots of food. Debbie Woodburn and Kristin Bennett (left) delivered it to our door. Thanks to the students and all for your kindness and generosity!
1000 North Avenue Apartments Plainfield
Thanks to Christina Cangialosi (right in photo) and the folks at 1000 North Ave Apts in Plainfield for their food drive,
Patty Bixel picked up the food donation at the new apartments, located near the Netherwood Train Station in Plainfield.
K-3 College Achieve Charter School
The students at the College Achieve Charter School in Plainfield also held a food collection. A very nice donation from the students and their families again this year. College Achieve has donated in past years, also.
Girl Scouts Help Out
Many thanks to Girl Scout Troop 65528 from Dunellen for their donation of food and the time they spent helping sort it and put it away. The Troop was at the pantry for one hour for their weekly meeting.
The girls and their parents had a tour of the pantry and then the Scouts sorted their food as if they were Star Fish volunteers. We played a quick game - “what can you feed a family for $5?” Everyone left smiling.
Thank you Scouts—great job!
Faith Lutheran Comes to our Aid
Annual partnership brings many volunteers
Each year, the folks at Faith Lutheran Church in New Providence drive down to our pantry with a truckload of food. They collect the food over the course of the year and through food drives, such as Scouting for Food by the area scout troops. We gather our many friends to help unload the truck and sort through the food before packing it away in the pantry. We are so thankful to Faith Lutheran, their supporters in New Providence, and our friendly volunteers who give of themselves on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Blessings to all for your friendship, support, and concern for the hungry!
During this Special Fundraiser for November 2023, we were blessed to receive $290 from the purchase of Give Back bags. Stop and Shop Watchung donated $1 for each bag sold - a great fundraiser!
Star Fish, Inc. is a tax exempt, 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in Plainfield, NJ
Your donations are tax deductible as permitted by the IRS Code.
Fresh Vegetables for Families in Need
Star Fish partnership with Rotary Club and the Giving Garden
A summer-long partnership with the Rotary Club of the Plainfields and the Giving Garden in the Wagner Farm Arboretum in Warren was a huge success. Rotary club members brought weekly donations of fresh vegetables to our Pantry. We used them for our clients and for the Plainfield Food Security Project, where they were enthusiastically received. We are grateful for the work done by Rotary to help plant, nurture and harvest the vegetables and then deliver them.
Clients at the walkup food distribution at the Plainfield Food Security Project receive a bag of groceries and, when available, fresh produce provided by the Giving Garden in Warren. The produce is well received, as shown in these photos. Families also get a dozen fresh eggs to help with protein needs.
AEDs Donated by Star Fish
Star Fish purchased two automatic external defibrillators for use at the Covenant United Methodist Church.
Concerned with the safety and health of our volunteers and the Covenant United congregation, the Board of Directors recently authorized purchase of two automatic external defibrillators. The AEDs provide a potential life-saving mechanism for anyone undergoing cardiac arrest or heart attack.
With our volunteers mostly over 60 years of age, the potential for these cardiac events is fairly high. Additionally, we have seen news reports of younger people suffering from a cardiac event that was mitigated by having a nearby AED. We hope that we never need to use these devices, but they will be there if we need them.
We installed one of the AEDs outside of the pantry near the stairwell where it is accessible to anyone using the basement level. The second device was presented to the Covenant United congregation at a Sunday service in August. The church trustees will decide where it is to be installed on the first floor.
PROJECT 600 - Food for Elementary School Children
Star Fish Food Pantry and the Plainfield YMCA collaborated to provide
600 bags of food for elementary school children in Plainfield.
The idea for “Project 600” came from the Plainfield YMCA and their parent organization, the Greater Somerset County YMCA. The YMCA was awarded a generous Community Development Block Grant from Union County to fund the project. Each year, County Commissioners, Director Brandon Givens, and the CDBG staff work with nonprofits and municipalities to allocate CDBG funds from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.
"When presented with the ‘Project 600’ proposal from Kate Russo, District VP of Operations of the Greater Somerset County YMCA and Leo Gonzalez, the Plainfield YMCA representative, we saw this as an outreach of our regular programs,” said Ms. Bixel. “The Star Fish mission is to provide emergency food assistance to families in Plainfield who find themselves in need. We meet this obligation through food requests from our Partner Agencies, through our partnership with the YMCA on the Plainfield Food Security Project twice a month, and through other distributions in meeting specific needs. ‘Project 600’ presented a challenge that our dedicated volunteer staff was happy to take on.”
“Food security is essential for a healthy and productive community,” said Leo Gonzalez of the Plainfield YMCA. “When families have access to nutritious food, they are better able to learn, grown, and thrive. Through our partnership with Star Fish Food Pantry, we were able to provide 600 bags of food that will be distributed to elementary schools in the district. This food will provide much needed nourishment to families in our community who are struggling to put food on the table. I am grateful to Star Fish for partnering with Plainfield YMCA on this project and to the numerous volunteers who made this effort possible.”
Each “Project 600” food bag consists of cereal, soup, milk, canned tomatoes, fruit and vegetables, beans, rice, beans, snacks, juice pouches, mac and cheese, pasta, peanut butter, jelly, tuna. All the food items were provided by Star Fish Food Pantry and were purchased from ShopRite and Aldi supermarkets in South Plainfield, with some donated by Wegman’s and the Community Food Bank of NJ.
“Our director of food procurement, Jerry Zukowski, did a wonderful job working with the Community Food Bank of New Jersey to procure food from their inventory,” said Pat Bixel, Star Fish executive director. “He monitored available inventory, placed orders when needed items were available, drove to Hillside to pick up the food, and arranged for a delivery direct to our location.”
Working with Covenant United Methodist Church where Star Fish is located, volunteers stored the “Project 600” food in a basement room near the Food Pantry. “We are very appreciative of the support we receive from Covenant United Methodist Church,” said Pat Bixel. “They understand the increased need for food within our city and work cooperatively in every aspect of this project.”
Fifty individuals of all ages volunteered in filling 600 Wegman bags on Saturday, April 22. The high school students of Wardlaw+Hartridge School, St. Joseph High School, and members of the Scotch Plains First United Methodist Church Youth Group contributed a great deal of time and muscle. Students helped during their spring break to begin preparing those bags before the April 22 assembly day. These same high schools and the Youth Group generously contribute food throughout the year. “Their help with this project was priceless. We’re elated with their personal dedication in feeding families in need”, commented Pat Bixel.
The packaged bags were then taken to a storage location by volunteers from the Plainfield YMCA for later distribution to nine elementary schools in Plainfield. The food bags will be given to school nurses and social workers at nine elementary schools in Plainfield with after-care programs. School personnel will identify students in need of supplemental food. “We truly appreciate the support that we receive from the community that helps fund all of our operations at Star Fish,” said Kathleen Nitzsche, Star Fish treasurer. “It is heartwarming to receive regular monthly donations through PayPal as well as checks in the mail and food from our supporters. We could not do what we do without that community support.”
Anyone wishing to help us offset the food insecurity needs of families in Plainfield can donate at the our website's Contact Us or Donate page. You can also send a donation to Star Fish Inc., PO Box 2822, Plainfield, NJ 07062-0822. Donations are tax deductible as permitted by IRS regulation and law. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Plainfield, NJ with EIN 22-2145178.
FOOTNOTE: We joined with the YMCA for Project 160, preparing an additional 160 bags of food for distribution to school children before the start of summer vacation. We're like the Energizer bunny - we keep going and going and going!!
2023 and the Cost of Eggs
You’ve no doubt seen a number of articles and editorial cartoons recently clamoring over the price of eggs. We feel this price increase, too, since fresh eggs are a vital protein source that we provide to our clients. Between our Partner Agencies and Plainfield Food Security Project clients, we distributed more than 1600 dozen eggs in 2022. We started the year at $1.29 per dozen for jumbo and have paid as much as $4 per dozen for large, an increase in cost and a decrease in size.
The avian bird flu has spread throughout the US, requiring farmers to destroy their entire flocks of chickens when just one becomes infected. The disease is highly contagious and resulted in destruction of 40 million egg-laying hens in 2022! Once these flocks are destroyed, it takes between 5 and 6 months for chicks to grow to egg-laying stage; some breeds take longer. Most commercial layers are kept for 2-3 years as their egg production decreases after this time. To keep a small flock producing, owners should plan to retire old hens and add young hens (pullets) every 2-3 years.
Ovulation (release of the yolk from the ovary) occurs every 24 – 26 hours regardless of fertilization. A hen ovulates a new yolk after the previous egg was laid. It takes 26 hours for an egg to fully form (white and shell added), so a hen will lay an egg later and later each day. Eventually the hen will lay too late in a day for ovulation to be signaled. She will then skip a day or more before laying another egg.
Your donations help us purchase eggs. We now have eleven regular donors of $120 or more a year, our Egg-O-Mat donors. Each is acknowledged on our Egg-O-Mat page on the website. You can join them—just go to www.tinyurl.com/StarFishPlfdInc and select Egg-O-Mat from the list of donor choices.
But what is an Egg-O-Mat? Long before the modern era of shopping ease, farmer Camillo Epstein and his wife brought convenience to local egg buyers roughly 70 years ago. The EggOmat, an egg vending machine enclosed in a wooden shed, was born on Mountain Boulevard, across from the field that’s now home to municipal ballfields. It eliminated the need for the Epsteins to continually staff a farm stand. At night, on weekends, and other times that food stores were closed, customers could still buy the key ingredient for their next omelet.
Here is a sample of our Egg-O-Mat tribute to our donors - thanks, Joe Bixel! We also welcome new donors Richard McInerny and Janette Cardozo, shown below in our current display of thirteen Egg-O-Mat donors - WOW!
2022 Faith Lutheran Church Food Delivery
Faith Lutheran Church in New Providence blessed us again this year with a delivery of food that was collected in New Providence and through donations at the Church itself. We received over 200 boxes of canned goods and dry goods, and bags and bags of cereal to help fill our shelves and get us through the coming months. The donations are packed in boxes specially selected so they fit on out shelves.
The church volunteers and our own volunteers set up a ramp system and slide the boxes down onto tables in Covenant United Methodist Church basement meeting room. Our volunteers then take them to tables marked out with the food types - tuna, peanut butter and jelly, beans, vegetables, etc. After the boxes are all delivered, Star Fish helpers sort through to repackage as needed into boxes by year - 2022, 2023, 2024, even 2025 - so the food is given out before it meets expiration dates.
Some are put in milk crates, others put back in boxes. Then all are taken into the pantry to be shelved. Some items (like tomato sauce and pasta)were taken directly to the pantry and shelved there to save time and space.
We give thanks to all of our friends at Faith Lutheran, particularly Pastor Jane and Cheryl Bock who help lead this community food drive every year and promote it through the congregation and community. Click on any photos below to enjoy the various scenes of activity, fun and fellowship.
Go to our Contact Us or Donate page to help us continue our mission.