A Morris County megachurch that is spending $30 million to renovate and expand its community center officially opened a huge new food pantry Thursday morning.
The CARE Center of New Jersey is a program within IMPACT Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit subsidiary of Christ Church in Rockaway. The pantry, called Food for HOPE, is housed within a 10,000-square-foot space.
“Food insecurity isn’t just about meals — it’s about dignity, opportunity, and a future where no family has to choose between paying bills and putting food on the table,” said David Ireland, the center’s founder and the church’s lead pastor. “Food for HOPE is a promise to the people of New Jersey that no one should go hungry.”
Nonprofit officials also launched the center’s new fleet of trucks to transport food and supplies to communities in need, officials said. A customized, refrigerated 24-foot box truck; a refrigerated van; and pickup truck are included in the transportation fleet.
The food pantry, which is located within the center’s 130,000-square-foot facility, allows guests to visit twice a month and stock up on fresh produce, bread, canned goods and meat for free.
Officials said they aim to serve 500 people in the food pantry every month, and thousands more through the mobile food units, which will expand the nonprofit’s distribution efforts to food deserts across the state.
The center’s Food for HOPE program launched five years ago, nonprofit officials said.
The center is located on the church’s Rockaway campus at 140 Green Pond Road.
The nondenominational church also has locations in Clifton and Montclair. The Rockaway campus was built on the 107-acre former Agilent Technologies property off of Route 80.
The center is currently fundraising to finish its facility renovation, officials said.
When fully funded, renovated and opened, the center will bring roughly 40 full-time and 60-part time jobs to the Morris County facility, officials said. It will also provide a variety of services, including mental health counseling, health care referrals, legal services, career preparation and a thrift shop.
Many of the services will be free, while others will be provided at a “highly discounted rate,” nonprofit officials said. A full list of services is available on the center’s website.
As one of the largest churches in the state, Christ Church has more than 10,000 members representing 70 countries. The CARE Center has served the community for more than 20 years.
The church’s Rockaway campus opened in 2009, after a six-year battle that included a federal religious discrimination lawsuit, a U.S. Justice Department investigation into town practices and three years of public meetings with residents worried the complex would bring traffic and noise to the community.
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Brianna Kudisch may be reached at [email protected].