Food Depot
CUMAC serves as the largest food warehouse facility for Passaic County agencies, housing food and non-food items for nearly 60 area nonprofits.  We serve as the drop off point and distribution center for local food pantries that cannot store or manage large shipments of food from corporate or government agencies.  In addition, our refrigerated truck and cargo van do pick-ups and deliveries of perishable food for the 40 agencies of the Emergency Food Coalition.  The Depot also coordinates food collection and dissemination for established food drives such as the Postal Worker's Drive and North Jersey Media Group's Action Against Hunger.

Food Pantry / Referral Office
CUMAC regularly fills close to 2000 requests for food a month for children, adults and seniors in need of regular and emergency assistance. The food we distribute is purchased for a nominal handling charge at the Community Food Bank or in bulk at retailers, collected via large-scale and local food drives, and donated by generous individuals, groups and grocery stores.  If you are interested in donating food, please see our list of regular pantry needs. 

Thrift Shop
The Thrift Shop offers free clothing, household items and furniture to victims of fire and domestic violence, and the rest is sold to support feeding program costs.  Our inventory is donated by individuals, church & civic groups, and local retail stores, and staff assure stock stays updated.  The Thrift Shop offers our clients and other area residents an opportunity to move toward self-sufficiency by offering high-quality, yet low-cost items.  Anyone is welcome to shop at the Thrift Shop, and you are likely to find a unique or needed item at a great price while supporting a great cause.  Please call for information about Saturday sale days.

Pathways to Work
CUMAC participates in workforce training programs, including Welfare-to-Work, offering people experience in the warehouse, Thrift Shop or Referral Office to build many necessary job skills and move toward gainful employment.

Tutoring and Literacy Center (TLC)
Run in conjunction with the Southwest Paterson Cooperative Parish of the United Methodist Church, TLC is an after school program providing an opportunity for local youth to receive homework help, participate in extracurricular activities and socialize in a safe environment. Please contact Darlene Serrano, Program Director, regarding job openings and enrollment information at serrano.tlc@cumacecho.org.

Seasonal Projects
CUMAC runs a number of seasonal projects in order to respond to specific community needs.  Examples include distribution of school supplies in the late summer, special food collections for Thanksgiving, and a Wish List program to provide gifts to children in need during the holiday season. Church groups also host Empty Bowls events year round for CUMAC.  Each event is an ecumenical service with 3 goals:  (1) to bring together various faith groups and educate participants regarding hunger in NJ; (2) to create a sense of community responsibility and encourage action toward the alleviation of hunger; and (3) to raise money to support CUMAC's work.  Announcements of upcoming Empty Bowls events, and other seasonal drives and programs will be posted on the website.  

Advocacy
While offering direct services is our primary mission, we take an active roll in pushing for systemic change related to the root causes of poverty and hunger in Passaic County. Our Executive Director was a part of the effort to get a line-item in the NJ State Budget to address hunger issues.  The 2006 Budget contained the first ever such allocation of $4 million, and 2007 saw a continuation of that funding.  CUMAC is a lead agency of the Emergency Food Coalition of Passaic County - a network of pantires who share resources to best address the issue of hunger - and a member of the Paterson Alliance - a partnership of nonprofits dedicated to building a stronger Paterson.  In addition to these efforts, CUMAC staff and Board are often called upon to speak to corporate, faith, school, scouting and civic groups about the plight of hunger and what can be done to help those in need in our communities.

If you would like to support CUMAC's work, there are many ways that you can help feed people and change lives!  Please contact us.