Fulfill Will Help You With Food and More if You’re Out of Work

Fulfill, which was formerly called The Foodbank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, has free, confidential services which are being offered to residents of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

So if you are struggling, perhaps for the first time, due to the Covid-19  pandemic and fallout -- perhaps having lost your job -- help is available to get you food, affordable health care, affordable housing, utility expenses, budgeting and money management advice, tax preparation, connecting to senior services, and more.

If you live in Monmouth or Ocean Counties you are eligible for these free, confidential services either by phone or in person outdoors at Fulfill’s Neptune and Toms River locations. But you must make an appointment. Call 732-643-5888 or email services@fulfillnj.org.

Fulfill’s safety precautions include requiring masks, strict social distancing, making hand sanitizer available to all, plastic dividers between staff and clients, social distancing signs and stickers, hand sanitizer available for use, and more.

Fulfill CEO and President Kim Guadagno, the former Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey, says Fulfill is aware that families struggling in Monmouth and Ocean Counties need help more than ever. Fulfill's Resource Connections Team will connect you to the services that will allow you to put food on the table for your families and save money in other areas to stay afloat..

Here are the details of just some of the services offered through Fulfill:

--  The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) – food stamps - can provide families with financial benefits each month that can be used to buy food. There are income requirements as well as other eligibility requirements. Fulfill’s trained staff can help clients navigate the process.

-- Fulfill is a State Navigator Agency and have trained healthcare experts that can help find insurance that meets your needs and provides financial assistance to pay for the insurance if you qualify. In fact, eight out ten people in New Jersey qualify for financial assistance.

-- Fulfill can also help you with income tax refunds. If you earn under $56,000 annually, you may be eligible for both the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and free tax preparation. To claim the EITC and other tax credits, a tax return needs to be filed. Fulfill’s trained staff offers expert guidance.

During this pandemic, Fulfill's demand for food has already grown 40% and Fulfill has served an additional 1.8 MILLION meals to people in need. They expect the demand to grow as the unemployed run out of paychecks, incentives, and savings.

Fulfill feeds children, seniors, veterans, and the working poor. Fulfill serves pantries, shelters, and soup kitchens, provided hot meals for children after school when schools were open, and sent food home for those same children over the weekend during the school year. They now provide food to those children and their families at home through partnerships. Fulfill also provides additional services to help you improve your overall situation.

In fact Fulfill, pre-Covid also ran a job training program in culinary arts. That is on hold during the coronavirus crisis, though.

Fulfill has earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator for more than ten consecutive years. This distinction means Fulfill, a 501 (c)3 charitable organization, outperformed most charities in America in areas of efficiency, fiscal integrity, and effectiveness.

And here is something really important to know before you choose what non-profit to donate to. At Fulfill, 95 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to feeding the hungry in our community. That's why giving to Fulfill is so worthwhile. Almost all of your donations actually go directly to the community.

Follow Fulfill on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. Another way of supporting this amazing organization is to  share their posts to help raise awareness about hunger.

To donate or volunteer, CLICK HERE.