New Jersey
N.J. food pantry might close next month as it searches for new home
A New Jersey food pantry’s future is uncertain as it looks for a new home, so it can continue to feed residents of Monmouth County – a need that has increased in recent years.
Leaders hope the Bradley Food Pantry can find a new home either before or after May 17, when it is expected to leave its current space at the St. James Episcopal Church on 4th Avenue in Bradley Beach. The pantry has spent 40 years at the church, said Linda Curtiss, its executive director.
That anticipated shutdown comes while the all-volunteer pantry said it has been overwhelmed with public demand, one that grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, when millions of Americans were left to navigate social distancing protocols that limited the U.S. economy, forcing many out of work.
An email to the church from NJ Advance Media for comment was not immediately returned.
With rising consumer prices coupled with inflation, about 500 families have weekly relied upon the pantry to stave off hunger, according to its website.
In 2023, the pantry had 2,753 distinct families visiting for goods, leading the volunteers to shell out more than 850,000 pounds of food, according to the pantry.
“Thousands of families were disadvantaged because of this, but we cannot continue to offer food and hospitality at the current location,” Curtis said in a statement.
The pantry’s leaders have been at odds with the church, saying both have “differing viewpoints” without elaborating. Those differences led the pantry to begin searching for a new space to distribute meals since last August, the pantry said. It has already weighed over 100 locations without making a final decision.
The pantry needs about a 2,000-square-foot space, but finding one under needed zoning laws has been daunting, its leaders say.
In its last weeks at the church, the pantry will operate under an altered schedule – Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. But, the limited schedule has placed an unprecedented challenge on the pantry’s ability to serve the community, Curtis said.
The executive director said that despite recent hurdles, she and her team are striving to make the looming closure only temporary.
“The Bradley Food Pantry will not rest until we find a location where we can come back better and stronger than before, ready to help families in need once again,” Curtis said.
Trump rolls out Freedom Fuel gas stations, what are they?
Trump’s Freedom Fuel is selling gas at $3.47/gal in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
President Donald Trump is touting a new fuel option for motorists: Freedom Fuel, advertising gas at a discount price to local consumers.
When the network was opened and announced on July 7, it advertised $3.47 per gallon regular gas at the pumps, a noticeable difference from national and state averages in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
But is the gas actually as cheap as the 47th President says?
According to some gas tracking platforms, it may not be.
On GasBuddy, a website tracking gas prices across the country with a pricing heat map based on user submissions, some of the Freedom Fuel locations’ pricing appeared to have risen.
Some still sporting the names of what appeared to be their previous sites, like a Gas N Go on Island Ave, the following addresses on GasBuddy match those listed as one of Trump’s 25 gas stations.
The pricing, however, varies:
- 2200 Island Ave, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 8
- 400 Baltimore Pike, Springfield, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 9
- 6243 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 9
- 6800 E. Baltimore Ave, Lansdowne, Pennsylvania – $3.57 as of July 9
- 6801 Tilton Rd., Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey – $3.89 as of July 8
- 6501 Delilah Rd., Egg Harbor Township New Jersey – $3.57 as of July 9
Much about the gas station network remains unknown, like how long they’ll be operating or where stations could be popping up next.
Administration officials told USA TODAY on July 8 that the federal government has no role in the Freedom Fuel Network, nor is it providing it with funding.
The White House also said that “no other entity or person” is subsidizing the cost of gasoline.
Contributing: Michelle Del Rey USA TODAY NETWORK
Kaitlyn McCormick is a Philadelphia-based reporter writing all things trending, breaking and city-related for USA TODAY’s Philadelphia Metro Connect Team.
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Mile marker 113.3 on the eastern spur of the New Jersey Turnpike in Secaucus will forever be an incredible memory for one family, who scrambled to deliver their baby boy right on the side of the road.
Kristen Fast was in labor last week, with her husband driving her to the hospital on the turnpike, but when they got to the mile marker, baby Archer couldn’t wait any longer and had to be delivered on the highway.
Archer insisted on arriving three days before he was due, and maybe it was because his lovely big sister, 4-year-old Zelda, was waiting for him.
He was in such a hurry, he didn’t even let mom and dad get to the hospital for him to be born, although they tried.
“The doula said, ‘pull over, hang up, call 911.’ So we did that. We called 911. The operator started walking him through what to do,” said Archer’s mother, Kristen Fast.
“Next thing I know, I get in the back seat, and we’re making sure she’s comfortable, and I look down, and that baby is ready to go,” said Archer’s dad, Alex Fast.
New Jersey State Trooper Freddie Guacamaya responded to Alex’s 911 call.
“Cop comes, puts on his gloves, and he was fantastic,” Alex Fast said.
“I said, ‘Are you the EMT?’ And he didn’t answer. So I said, ‘You are not an EMT. I’m in danger.’ But he was fine, he was being very calm,” Kristen Fast said.
“They said, ‘you got to clamp that cord right away. If you have anything, if you have a string.’ So I panicked and just looked in the front and we just had an iPhone cable. So we just clamped the cord with an iPhone cable,” Alex Fast said.
“The EMTs came, and they said, ‘What is this?’” Kristen Fast said.
The loving, kind courtesies extended to the family just continued, helping to make their emergency experience flawless.
“There were three policemen who showed up. I said, ‘I’d love to be with her in the ambulance.’ And they were amazing. They drove our car to the hospital for us, which was so nice. They paid for our valet,” Alex and Kristen Fast said.
They were all welcomed to Hackensack University Medical Center with a healthy baby and a hearty story, backed by Archer’s exact birthplace, recorded accurately: New Jersey Turnpike I-95, mile marker 113.
“Archer’s healthy. He’s thriving. He’s a Jersey boy through and through. I don’t think you get more Jersey than being born on the New Jersey Turnpike,” Kristen Fast said.
New Jersey
What to know about Freedom Fuel Network as Trump urges cheaper gas prices in Pennsylvania, NJ
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — There are 25 new Freedom Fuel Network gas stations opening across the Philadelphia area and South Jersey as Americans closely watch gas prices.
This comes after President Trump announced the privately-owned network on social media last week, saying it will help drivers save money at the pump.
There are 25 new Freedom Fuel gas stations opening across the Philadelphia area and South Jersey as Americans closely watch gas prices.
The first location in Dresher, Montgomery County, opened on Friday, with the price of $3.47 per gallon.
This cost was a nod to President Trump serving as the nation’s 47th president.
However, that price has already started to rise after the president announced new U.S. strikes, sending oil and gas prices higher.
Some of those locations with gas stations participating in the Freedom Fuel Network include Lansdowne, Bensalem and Pottstown in Pennsylvania; and Marlton in New Jersey.
Gas Calculator: Find out how much it costs to fill your tank
A White House official told ABC News the administration is not involved with the company and is not providing any funding or subsidies.
Instead, the company says it is cutting its own profit margins to offer lower prices.
Some drivers are applauding this move while others, including gas analysts, are skeptical.
“$3.47 a gallon is a Godsend, honestly,” said one consumer. “Great price because this was a Sunoco before and prices were a lot higher.”
“I want Americans to be asking, ‘Where is that money coming from? Why are corporations and businesses willing to subsidize gas 50-cents a gallon for people, to make President Trump look good,” said another consumer.
Trump is also encouraging other gas retailers to lower their prices. He has not identified the company behind Freedom Fuel, saying only that it’s a private retailer.
Action News is still working to learn how long these lower prices will last and whether more stations will open.
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