AUGUSTA, NJ (Sussex County) – The Board of Trustees of the German Christmas Market of NJ presented the Sussex County Division of Social Services with a $2,000 grant to support the vital services provided by its food pantry.
Sussex County Commissioner Director Chris Carney, Commissioner Alan Henderson, and Health and Human Services Administrator Christine Florio attended the annual Giving Back event at the Sussex County Fairgrounds on March 9, 2025, to accept the award.
The German Christmas Market of NJ is a non-profit foundation that hosts an annual community event in Sussex County to celebrate the Christmas holiday. The foundation then distributes the proceeds back into the community in the form of grant awards and in-kind donations to Sussex County charities and non-profits.
The food pantry, managed by volunteers, provides food to residents in need across Sussex County. Operating solely on donations, it ensures food availability at all times. The pantry also runs the BackPack Snacks for Kids program, which supplies nutritious meals and snacks to children in participating school districts for weekends and school breaks. All donations remain in Sussex County, directly benefiting local residents.
“The pantry serves over 20,000 people annually and distributes approximately 1,300 backpack snack bags each month to children in need in local schools,” said Deputy Director/Health and Human Services Liaison Jill Space. “The need continues to increase while donations have decreased, which makes every food drive and grant opportunity more important in order to serve our neighbors who may be experiencing food insecurity.”
“Each and every donation is deeply appreciated,” said Director Carney. “I cannot thank the Board of Trustees enough for their hard work and contributions to our community and for recognizing the need that exists in Sussex County.” The County of Sussex, Department of Health and Human Services, and Division of Social Services sincerely thanked the Board of Trustees for this grant opportunity and their continued support in improving the quality of life for residents.
For those in need of food, the Division of Social Services is located at 83 Spring Street in Newton, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Food or pet donations are accepted during these hours, or special arrangements for after-hours donations can be made by calling 973-383-3600.
