Bradley Food Pantry has outgrown its home, and it needs a new one fast

BRADLEY BEACH - Four generations of the Andersen family have volunteered at the Bradley Food Pantry, which will temporarily close starting Friday, May 17, at 1 p.m.

"It's going to be so sad, we see these people every week," Alexas Andersen, the lead volunteer for Thursday evening, said.

The pantry is looking for a new home after 42 years at St. James Episcopal Church at 605 Fourth Ave., after several years of increased activity that put a strain on its operation in what is a residential neighborhood.

“We’ve been looking since August,” said Linda Curtiss, the executive director. “Turns out it’s hard to find a place that’s 2,000 square feet with parking in a commercial district … that’s zoned for a pantry.”

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She said the pantry has considered over 100 locations, but, “We just haven’t found the spot yet.”

Andersen said on a Thursday night, about 60 to 90 families would receive a number and wait outside before being called to come into the pantry. They would then take a cart and pick the foods they wish to eat. In addition to canned and shelf-stable foods like tuna and pasta, the pantry stocks bread, meats, produce, salads and ready-to-eat meals.

Andersen, who is the third generation in her family to volunteer at the pantry, said, "When you have blessings in your life, it's nice to give."

Curtiss said the volunteer organization hopes to reopen at a temporary location before settling in a new home.

The food pantry started in 1982 out of one of the rooms in the parish office. Congregant Eleanor Pierson and the Rev. Kenneth Gluckow, former rector of St. James, laid the foundation for the pantry, according to a news release from St. James. Beatrice Shafer, who was also a member of the congregation, donated funds that allowed the church to construct the building in the back corner of the church that currently hosts the pantry. The food pantry has been in that location since 1998.

"Their legacy lives on through the countless volunteers, donors, and supporters who have contributed to the Pantry's success," the news release said.

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Curtiss said the food pantry has decided to search for a new location after a “difference of opinion” with St. James. For many years, the pantry has opened for five days a week, but recently it reduced its hours to three days. She said the pantry leaders disagreed with cutting back.

According to a St. James news release, "Since the spring of 2023, the Pantry's leadership at our church and in our neighborhood has been contentious."

It continued, "Father James Yarsiah, Priest-In-Charge of St. James Episcopal Church, clarified that in July 2023, after careful consideration, the clergy, vestry and pantry leadership mutually agreed that our facilities, situated in a residential area, couldn't sustain the commercialized operations of the Bradley Food Pantry. Despite efforts to compromise, including proposing a transition to an independent nonprofit status, tensions persisted. Eventually, it was decided, with the guidance of Bishop Sally (French), that the Pantry's operation schedule would be gradually reduced to mitigate disruptions to the neighborhood."

In an April 4 letter sent by the church to the pantry, the church argued that the space was meant to hold a small feeding ministry and not a large nonprofit. It noted that there have been complaints of public urination and shouting from people waiting at the pantry.

According to the pantry’s website, the pandemic fueled demand in services lead to congestion and traffic in a location that only has street parking in a residential neighborhood.

"It made sense to us to close down to put all our efforts into finding a new place," Curtiss said.

According to the pantry’s website, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of visits to the pantry doubled from 566 visits in February 2020 to 1,264 visits in May 2020. While the pandemic eased, “inflation, benefit reductions and immigration surges” caused an increase in visits. In 2023, the pantry served 2,753 distinct families for over 20,000 visits. It provided 850,000 pounds of food.

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Since many of the people that use the pantry service walk there, Curtiss said the ideal location would be somewhere nearby.

“We are looking in Neptune, Neptune City, Avon, you know, the nearby towns,” she said. “We intend to continue serving the same population that we serve now.”

About 150 volunteers run the pantry, which currently serves about 400 and 500 families every week, according to Curtiss. While the pantry receives food donations from neighbors and from Fulfill, the Neptune-based food bank serving Monmouth and Ocean counties, it is currently not looking to merge with other pantries.

She said, “It would be very difficult for another pantry to absorb that magnitude (of clients).”

While the pantry will stop accepting food donations when it closes, it will continue accepting monetary donations.

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She said going forward, the pantry is likely going to have an annual budget of over $200,000. While it currently does not have to pay rent at its current location, it is expecting to pay about $50,000 to $100,000 in rent at a new location.

According to the pantry's website, in 2019, expenses were just under $50,000. But then from 2020 to 2023, expenses ranged from $100,000 to $150,000.

The pantry is continuing its fundraisers, which include a golf outing at Hominy Hill Golf Club in Colts Neck on Monday, May 20 and a "friendraiser" at The Headliner in Neptune City on Friday, May 31. According to Curtiss, a friendraiser brings people together to learn about the organization and potentially donate or volunteer in the future.

In the meantime, the pantry will continue to operate for its last two weeks at St. James, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays to Fridays and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays.

Olivia Liu is a reporter covering transportation, Red Bank and western Monmouth County. She can be reached at oliu@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Bradley Food Pantry losing Bradley Beach home because demand has grown