Hunger Relief And Healthy Eating: Food Justice At Trinity Church

Hunger Relief and Healthy Eating

Introduction

Food Justice at Trinity dedicates it’s time to provide services to those in need within Asbury Park, because we value compassion, solidarity, and charity.

Describe the Organization

Food Justice at Trinity Church or FTJ helps meet the immediate needs of hunger within the community of Asbury Park by providing programs such as: soup kitchens, a food pantry, and urban gardening.

Despite the access to affordable food individuals who live in poverty might have, it does not guarantee that accessible food is healthy; FTJ aims to provide healthy food to those in need. Without food that is nourishing, it is difficult to expect people who live in poverty to stay healthy. Our pantry is currently open Tuesday,

Concepts such as: poverty, hunger, and the environment are complex, and are a result of a multitude of factors. Trinity believes that there are several contributors towards hunger within low-income communities, and the organization aims to combat those individual issues. Currently FJT is working with Asbury Park high school to do youth empowerment and social justice education work and in the future looks to purchase a building to offer transitional housing for our guests/clients.

In order to help combat future hunger FTJ also organizes events which educates individuals on what they can do to stop hunger, and why it currently exists. Education is empowerment, and FTJ uses education as a method to help individuals empower themselves. The educational efforts of the organization allows for citizens to be infuriated with the injustice regarding hunger, allowing for them to take an active part within their community, and potentially our organization.

Describe Asbury

Urban Gardening gives Asbury Park residents a sense of community, and access to healthy organic food. According to our budgets, the organization is in need of additional funding to kick-start the urban garden. Although the urban garden will be small this year it will be able to sustain itself through its consistent donors, however additional funding is necessary to expand and improve the urban garden for the future.

In addition to the current efforts to kick start the Urban Garden, Trinity plans to invest into healthier meats without probiotics for protein; meat contains necessary nutrients no one deserves to be denied of.

Despite a majority of FTJ’s efforts being focused on feeding those experiencing homelessness and educating the youth, FTJ has many other methods towards ending hunger. Food Justice at Trinity may be a charity but our efforts are more than just assisting those in need; Trinity assists individuals who feel dependent and hopeless gain their independence and agency through the resources we provide. In order to take our assistance a step further, trinity plans to use potential funding towards job opportunities for homeless individuals. The jobs provided would include something simple such as helping out with cleaning after the soup kitchen, and other events. Once someone who is experiencing homelessness is able to work a small job, they will be able to expand on their job opportunities because they will