• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Skip to footer navigation

  • Calendar of events
  • 687 Larch Av, Teaneck NJ
  • 201-836-5187
  • Contact Us
  • DONATE
Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County NJ

Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County NJ

  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Leader
      • Leader Curt Collier
      • Leader’s Talks
      • Joe Chuman, Retired Leader
        • Talks by Dr Joseph Chuman
        • Speaking of Ethics: Living a Humanist Life
        • Wedding Officiant
    • Gatherings
    • FAQ
      • How does Ethical Culture make a difference in society?
      • What social life is there in Ethical Culture?
      • How is Ethical Culture religious?
    • Ethical Brew
    • Ceremonies
    • Philosophy
    • Constitution & Bylaws
    • Contact Us
  • Sunday School
    • About Our Sunday School
    • Primary Class
    • Elementary Class
    • Junior Class
    • Senior Class
    • Sunday school FAQ
    • Sunday School News
  • Social Action
    • History of Our Social Action
    • All Social Action Articles
    • Battling Racism
    • Environmental Action
    • Healthcare
  • Adult Education
    • About Our Adult Ed Programs
    • Open Mic
    • Conversemos
    • Job Club
    • Accountability Circle
      • Anti-racism
      • Gender Explorations
    • Mindfulness Mediation
    • Socrates Cafe
    • Ethical Culture Review of Books
  • News
    • All News
    • President Column
    • UN Report
    • Gathering Addresses
    • Member News
    • Sunday School News
  • EVENTS

Carlos Rodriguez, Community FoodBank of NJ

December 11, 2019

As part of our series of Sunday Platforms featuring people who put their time and work into making the world a better place, this past Sunday’s Platform featured Carlos Rodriguez, President and CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ), who was interviewed by Bergen Society member David Bland about the work CFBNJ and his own background in the non-profit world.  

Carlos Rodriguez (left) interviewed by member David Bland

Carlos did not start out in the non-profit world, he started out in the business world but soon switched over to the non-profit arena, finding it more personally rewarding.  He began with Foodchange, Inc. in 1995 which offered a variety of social welfare programs including food distribution to the poor. From there he went to the Children’s Defense Fund, the Food Bank of New York City, the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties and finally to CFBNJ where he has been CEO for about a year and a half.

The principal mission of CFBNJ is to “provide food for people in need while striving to end hunger in our state. We do this by working with a large network of more than one thousand community partners, including food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters, to bring food to our food-insecure neighbors.”  Some 900,000 New Jerseyans go hungry every day in New Jersey, including 260,000 children. To help fight this, CFBNJ has a huge food distribution network centered in Hillside, NJ as well as a smaller center in Egg Harbor and much of this food is donated by their corporate partners including Stop&Shop, BJ’s, King’s and Wakefern Foods (the parent of ShopRite and other food chains).  

In addition, CSFBNJ runs a culinary program, the “Food Service Training Academy (FSTA)” which is a free, 15 week program designed not only to give students marketable skills in the culinary industry.  Many of these students have had haphazard employment histories and even criminal records so the program teaches life skills as well as skills in the kitchen.

All this began over 40 years ago when founder Kathleen DiChiara began distributing food to the needy in Newark – out of the back of her station wagon! Today, the Hillside warehouse alone ships over 40,000,000 lbs of food annually.

Primary Sidebar

Ethical Brew is Back!

Ethical Brew Coffeehouse

Recent News

  • You’re Invited: Humanist for the Holidays
  • Join our Celebration of Human Rights
  • Our Research Highlights the Need to Connect Local Residents and Public Spaces
  • We Must Continue to Work Toward the Conditions of Peace
  • Let’s Join Forces Against Disinformation

Sign up for our newsletter.

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

We believe in ethics. We believe in people.

Please believe in us.

    Donate    

About Us

Ethical Culture was founded to focus on community and good works, rather than personal salvation. Read more…

Archives

Footer

Follow us

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Connect with Us

Address: 687 Larch Ave, Teaneck, NJ 07666
Phone: 201-836-5187
Email: [email protected]

Sign up for our newsletter.

 

Recent Posts

  • You’re Invited: Humanist for the Holidays November 30, 2023
  • Join our Celebration of Human Rights November 30, 2023
  • Our Research Highlights the Need to Connect Local Residents and Public Spaces November 30, 2023
  • We Must Continue to Work Toward the Conditions of Peace November 29, 2023
  • Let’s Join Forces Against Disinformation November 9, 2023
Our Society’s Covid-19 Guidelines

We believe in ethics. We believe in people.

Please believe in us.

Topics

atheism atheist church book review children civil rights climate change community compassion death democracy Doris Friedensohn education Elizabeth Warren environment environmentalism Ethical Brew Ethical Culture ethical education ethics family Felix Adler gender global warming happiness healthcare humanism humanist humanists human rights Israel Joseph Chuman Middle East politics racism religion Secular Humanism social action Socrates Cafe Sunday School technology transgender Trump unemployment world health youth

What We Do For Fun….

There's always time for play: celebrations, discussions (some in Spanish -- find Conversemos on our calendar), hikes, picnics, cultural outings, and more. Come join us!
Kids get into the act
Diane running the show

Important Links

  • Member of the American Ethical Union
  • Ethical Brew
  • Sanctuary Committee
  • BC Gun Violence Prevention
  • NJ Website Designer
© 2023 | The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County NJ

Copyright © 2023 · Kreativ Pro On Genesis Framework · The Ethical Culture Society of Bergen County · Log in

  • Calendar of events
  • 687 Larch Av, Teaneck NJ
  • 201-836-5187
  • Contact Us
  • DONATE