I’m not going to lie. Back in March when the NJ shut down for COVID-19, I was just as concerned as everyone else was about the number of toilet paper rolls we had in our house. It was a crazy time for everyone as we all scrambled to secure some sort of foundation in our own version of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

Thankfully, 2 weeks before the shutdown in late February, I had started a project “My Selfless Community”, a photo essay documenting the inner workings of Tri-Boro Food Pantry, a small food pantry in northern NJ. This project gave me an opportunity to learn more about food wealth gap, as well as a unique introspective look on the priorities and the meaning of community. This project has been a grounding experience for me during the early months of the pandemic—I am so honored to have met Janelle Larghi and all the people involved with the pantry’s operations.

A moment between cars. Janelle takes a quick breather while waiting for the next car to pull up.

The Star Ledger recently published a piece with a few of my photos about the current state of food pantries in NJ during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is my account of the past few months at the pantry and a few more photos from this project.

“I can’t always write a check, but I can always give of myself,” explains Janelle Larghi, Tri-Boro Food Pantry director. She was quoting her grandfather, pantry co-founder Sam Roemer. Now more than ever do Roemer’s words hold even more meaning.

February 27, 2020 - Located in the church basement of Pascack Reformed Church, Tri-Boro Food Pantry gets ready to open for patrons to shop. Curtains open on stage revealing the pantry’s “stockroom” of non-perishable items.

The pantry is located in suburban Park Ridge, NJ ad has been serving residents in the Pascack Valley area since its inception in 1982 (originally the Pascack Food Center). Surrounded by some of the wealthiest zip codes in NJ, residents didn’t see the need for a local pantry. Despite pushback, Roemer saw a need in the community and worked with local community members to establish it as a completely volunteer-run and donation-based food pantry.

Volunteers get to work sorting and restocking the store shelves with the most recent donation drop-offs. While space is tight in this converted backstage area, all grocery items are labeled and organized for ease of shopping. Patrons wait in line to… — Volunteers get to work sorting and restocking the store shelves with the most recent donation drop-offs. While space is tight in this converted backstage area, all grocery items are labeled and organized for ease of shopping. Patrons wait in line to enter this private shopping area.

Donations coming into the pantry must be checked for freshness. Food is sorted and labeled while expired food is thrown away.

Everyone needs a snack. A patron chooses a snack to fill her grocery bags. Prior to COVID-19 restrictions, patrons were able to shop for their favorite food items in the private shopping area.

February calendar shows number of patrons served (circled) every Tuesday and Thursday during pantry operation hours.

Prior to pandemic restrictions, Janelle took time to speak to all the patrons who shopped at the pantry, including its youngest shoppers. Connecting with and understanding the needs of each shopper allowed the pantry to provide a much more impactful… — Prior to pandemic restrictions, Janelle took time to speak to all the patrons who shopped at the pantry, including its youngest shoppers. Connecting with and understanding the needs of each shopper allowed the pantry to provide a much more impactful service.

Janelle became involved with the pantry in 2016. “I’d always tell my friends that it was my dream to work at the pantry someday,” says Janelle. “I feel so grateful to be living my grandfather’s mission. He passed away when I was only nine, so I didn’t know how cool he was until after he was gone. But working at the pantry makes me feel like I have a connection to him, like I’m fulfilling his mission.”

“My grandfather was a pretty progressive thinker for his time,” says Janelle. “He set out to do good things and succeeded.”

A portrait of Janelle’s grandfather and pantry founder, Sam Roemer, finds its way into the pantry stockroom.

Before pandemics and shelter-in-place orders, Tri-Boro’s doors were open for clients to shop one at a time in private. “Some people would use that time to talk to me privately about what was going on in their lives,” says Larghi. “We served around 30 customers per week and I knew them all on a personal level. I knew their stories, I knew them more intimately than I am able to now.”

March 19, 2020 - Pre-packed grocery bags line the front stage waiting to be picked up curbside. Due to COVID shutdown restrictions, patrons are no longer allowed to enter the building. — March 19, 2020 - Pre-packed grocery bags line the front stage waiting to be picked up curbside. Due to COVID shutdown restrictions, patrons are no longer allowed to enter the building.

A young man arrives on foot to pick up groceries for his family

Janelle scrambles to secure whatever food she can purchase in bulk. Buying restrictions during this time have limited the amount of food and toiletry items the pantry can purchase in bulk. During this time, while the country scrambles to buy up all… — Janelle scrambles to secure whatever food she can purchase in bulk. Buying restrictions during this time have limited the amount of food and toiletry items the pantry can purchase in bulk. During this time, while the country scrambles to buy up all the toilet paper and hand sanitizer, the pantry is only sustaining on private food donations.

A delivery for the pantry. Thankfully eggs and milk are still available for purchase in bulk.

Now because of updated mandates from the board of health, the pantry’s once robust staff of volunteers have since been forced to drastically downsize—at one point down to a two-person operation, Larghi and her husband Dave—while demand for food services have increased threefold. “With so many new clients and we don’t have a chance to form that kind of relationship with them, to know what their needs are. I try to make relationships as much as I can with everyone, but it’s still difficult to get a full grasp of who’s coming.”

April 21, 2020 - Janelle (right) gives directions to a new patron over the phone while her husband, Dave, fills more grocery bags to be distributed the next day.

The calm before the rush. Grocery bags are packed and ready for patrons, waiting for the pantry doors open.

Patrons line up in their cars and on foot before the pantry opens.  Some have been waiting for up to an hour. — Patrons line up in their cars and on foot before the pantry opens. Some have been waiting for up to an hour.

Connecting with patrons is very limited these days. Contactless pickup means only 2 minutes and 24 seconds per patron. — Connecting with patrons is very limited these days. Contactless pickup means only 2 minutes and 24 seconds per patron.

A patron arrives with mask and gloves prepared for contactless pickup. — A patron arrives with mask and gloves prepared for contactless pickup.

These days, Tri-Boro is pre-packing bags for 110 clients per week. Contents of the bags vary each week depending on what is available but typically include eggs, milk, some produce, and a variety of non-perishable food items—all donated from the local community. The amount of personal donations, both monetary and food, has been the most the pantry has ever seen. “We keep running low on things every week, so we are so thankful for the donations that keep coming in. Often times boxes just show up at the door with no name of who sent them, so we don’t even know who to thank. So I’m just thanking the universe.”

“I’m not happy about the amount of people that are hungry, nor the growing number of people that need our services…but it’s so hard not to be happy about this outpour of generosity that keeps coming in.”

May 21, 2020 - Pantry operations have moved well beyond the stage. Additional volunteers have been allowed back in to help process incoming donations. While demand has increased more than 3 fold, the outpour of private donations has allowed the pant… — May 21, 2020 - Pantry operations have moved well beyond the stage. Additional volunteers have been allowed back in to help process incoming donations. While demand has increased more than 3 fold, the outpour of private donations has allowed the pantry to sustain and continue to service its patrons.

Bulletin board with Calendar of May 2020

Crowd control. A new addition to the pantry’s operations, Pastor Mark Suriano greets and signs in patrons while directing traffic—keeping the line moving and patrons informed. — Crowd control. A new addition to the pantry’s operations, Pastor Mark Suriano greets and signs in patrons while directing traffic—keeping the line moving and patrons informed.

Now with additional volunteers in place, the pantry attempts to reconnect with patrons, young and old, as much as they can while social distancing.

While growing demand has surpassed supply at other surrounding pantries in the tri-state area, the Tri-Boro Pantry currently sustaining its is services with weekly donations. “We are very fortunate that our demand has not surpassed our supply yet. That’s the biggest challenge, making sure we don’t reach the point where we have to turn people away.”

Change seems to be the new normal for the pantry’s operation. Planing more than a week in advance seems almost impossible. But that does not seem to be keeping the pantry from helping its patrons. “I’m not happy about the amount of people that are hungry, nor the growing number of people that need our services…but it’s so hard not to be happy about this outpour of generosity that keeps coming in."