Wallington parish’s ‘superheroes’ devote life to helping those in need
Phil Stafford quit his job to become Superman — at least, that’s what the thousands of people he helps each week call him.
Though he was making good money as a house painter, Phil gave up his career so he could devote himself fully to NJ Food & Clothing Rescue, the Wallington nonprofit he founded with his wife Renay to support those struggling with food insecurity. Each week, Phil collects one to four tons of food from local stores and restaurants that would have otherwise gone to waste. Then, every Saturday, the Staffords and a handful of volunteers gather what they have not already given away and distribute it through a pantry they set up in the parking lot of Wallington’s Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, where Renay is a longtime parishioner.
The Staffords do not accept a penny in salary for their efforts even though they work almost around the clock to keep the nonprofit going. As a result, their family’s finances are often tight, depending solely on Renay’s outside career income to survive. But like any good superhero, the couple cares about more than financial gain.
“You can’t put a price on the feeling you get when you help someone who’s really in need,” Phil said.
Superman’s origin story
Phil lost everything on his 40th birthday. It was September 1999, and Hurricane Floyd had caused waters from the nearby Saddle and Passaic rivers to flood into his family’s underground Wallington apartment. In just 10 minutes, the Staffords’ possessions were destroyed.
And things only got worse from there.
After failing to receive much help from major charities and government agencies — which usually put the Staffords on a waiting list for assistance — Phil plunged into a depression. But he was unwilling to wallow in his misery, so he started contributing to a local food bank as a way of bringing joy back into his life. He even made a game out of it, seeing what deals he could get to maximize his donations.
It all culminated in one Thanksgiving when the pantry failed to receive an expected shipment of turkeys. Wanting to help, Phil started soliciting poultry nonstop on Facebook, eventually receiving enough to fill his van. By the time he finished distributing his loot, every family in need had a turkey for their holiday dinner. And the food bank’s leader could not be more thrilled.
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“He turned around to me and said, ‘Man, I’ve been doing this a long time. I have never seen anything like that. You’re Superman,’” Phil recalled.
The nickname stuck — but Phil wanted to do more. So, he and Renay launched NJ Food & Clothing Rescue in 2015 to help the hungry while combatting food waste (they also used to provide clothes for the needy but no longer have the storage space).
NJ Food & Clothing Rescue
New Jersey residents and businesses throw away 3.3 billion pounds of food per year, according to the national anti-food waste nonprofit ReFED. The Staffords believe a key reason for that is many shops and restaurants simply do not have anyone to take excess food that could be put to good use. So, Phil and Renay have built relationships with major North Jersey convenience stores and eateries wherein the establishments will call Phil to pick up leftover, unexpired food that would otherwise go in the trash. Phil collects food from individual donors, as well.
This effort means Phil is always on alert because a call could come in at any time. Most recently, Renay said they were enjoying a night out with friends when Phil left at 9 p.m. to pick up a donation. It is a time-consuming job — Phil works 100 hours a week, on average — but Renay said they cannot turn down a contribution because a rejected donor usually will not reach out again. Plus, Phil said he simply enjoys helping people.
“I’ve been in the position where my family didn’t have much food, so I know what it’s like,” Phil said. “And I know my energy is going to something really positive. There are times when I get really tired from lifting stuff and climbing in and out of vans and working 15 hours in one day — but that’s just physically tired. Emotionally, I’m supercharged.”
The amount of food he gets also makes his effort worthwhile. Through the years, Phil said he has received requests to collect everything from 16,000 pounds of organic meat to 6,000 pounds of organic cheese to 1,224 gallons of milk. And almost none of it goes to waste. According to Phil, less than 1% of the food they collect gets thrown out.
How can that be? If one of its Saturday pantries is not soon, NJ Food & Clothing Rescue sends donated perishable items to one of its 30 partner organizations so the food can be given to the hungry before turning bad. Nonperishable foodstuffs (or perishable ones collected close to Saturday) are distributed through the pantry at Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, which serves an average of 50 families per week. Any food leftover from the pantry is immediately shared with a partner organization that can put it to use.
NJ Food & Clothing Rescue does not only assist people through its pantry, though. The Staffords also store meat, cheese, butter, and other food in a Little Ferry warehouse so they can offer support in emergency situations. For instance, if a particularly struggling family cannot wait until Saturday, the Staffords will put together a care package to tide them over. These are not just any packages, either; Phil said they supply enough food for the family to prepare a full meal.
Overall, NJ Food & Clothing Rescue helps an average of 2,000 families every week directly or indirectly through its network of partners. These families are eligible for the nonprofit’s assistance because they accept some form of government aid or fall below the poverty line. But beyond those qualifications, anyone in need is welcome to seek help from the Staffords. That is because unlike many other charities, NJ Food & Clothing Rescue does not require its clients to be a resident of a particular county, a member of a specific faith, a U.S. citizen, or anything else.
In fact, Phil said their nonprofit has turned away less than a dozen people in its eight year-existence — and that was only because they could not demonstrate financial need.
“We’re not here to say ‘no,’” Renay said. “We’re here to help.”
A Catholic mission
NJ Food & Clothing Rescue is not technically a Catholic organization, but there is no denying the nonprofit is living up to the Church’s mission of serving others. And the Staffords are always guided by faith. Renay said there are times when they receive so few contributions that holding a pantry that week will not seem feasible. But she said she never loses hope because she knows God will provide, and sure enough, a major donation will typically come in at the last minute.
The Staffords are also quick to acknowledge their work would not be possible without the support of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. Renay explained NJ Food & Clothing Rescue had a few prior host sites for its pantry fall through, leaving the charity with no place to help those in need. But when Renay reached out to the parish — where she had been attending Mass for almost her entire life — she said she was welcomed with open arms.
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“The biggest thing keeping us going with serving people every week is the church,” Renay said. “They’ve never said ‘no’ to whatever we needed.”
Impacting the community
Not only has Most Sacred Heart of Jesus allowed the pantry to set up in its parking lot for the past six years, Renay said, it has also hosted a successful fundraiser and accommodated the charity in multiple little ways. But NJ Food & Clothing Rescue benefits the parish, too. In fact, Renay said many of their pantry clients are parishioners of the church.
According to the national nonprofit Feeding America, New Jersey has a food insecure population of 812,440 people as of 2021, including 197,280 children. Bergen County — where NJ Food & Clothing Rescue is based — contains 64,260 people who are food insecure as of that same year, with 7,370 of them being children. But Phil believes those numbers are increasing as prices for gas, rent, medication, and utilities continue to rise. In fact, he said he is starting to see more people than usual come to the pantry each week.
Those who do visit the parish parking lot on Saturday mornings find a pantry different from many others. Unlike a lot of food banks that give out prepackaged bags of groceries — which often contain items the client does not enjoy or need — NJ Food & Clothing Rescue lets people pick out the food they want. It provides a wide selection of choices, too, including meat and fresh fruit and vegetables. If the Staffords do not receive many donations of the latter items, they will use monetary contributions they have accrued to purchase such perishables the morning of the pantry so there will be enough for everyone.
On average, clients leave the pantry with $75 to $150 worth of food each week, Phil said.
To say NJ Food & Clothing Rescue’s clients appreciate this support would be an understatement. Almeda, who has been visiting the pantry for several years, said she loves being able to pick up fresh meat and produce. She also lauded Phil and Renay for always going the extra mile for those they serve, even handing out food from their house when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented them from holding public pantries. And when restaurants donate hot meals during the week, Almeda said the Staffords make sure people know so they can bring some home for dinner.
Lucy said Phil and Renay’s assistance has also been invaluable to her family, which is currently living in hotels after losing their home to flooding caused by Hurricane Ida. She said most of the money she and her husband make goes towards paying for hotel rooms, so the Staffords have been providing food to ensure they and their two young daughters do not starve. They were especially supportive when Lucy experienced health issues, which she said speaks to the type of people they are.
“Phil and Renay have been absolutely wonderful… people like them don’t come around too often,” Lucy said. “We’re very grateful. Without them, it would be very hard to live out here because everything costs way too much. It makes it very difficult to save, especially when we all have to eat.”
It is not just the clients who have been helped by the Staffords. Christina Rodriguez, who volunteers for the pantry after starting out as a client, said she recently was out of work for a few months after undergoing two surgeries. She asked Phil and Renay for some assistance — and got way more than she expected.
“Phil and Renay filled their van halfway full of food for me and my family,” said Rodriguez, who has five children. “I never thought they would give that much. I was shocked.”
Maria Kramer, another client-turned-volunteer, said the Staffords were a lifeline for her family when they were facing foreclosure. In addition to providing food through the pantry, Kramer said Renay would give her leftover items to feed her five children. Now, Kramer said she appreciates the opportunity to give back. And so does her husband Bob, who said he works late into the evening at his job on Saturdays just so he can volunteer at the pantry during the day.
Helping the helpers
Because the Staffords do not accept government funding — which would require them to put restrictions on who they assist — NJ Food & Clothing Rescue relies entirely on donations. Renay said the nonprofit received about $80,000 in monetary contributions and corporate sponsorship money last year, but Phil said roughly $20,000 of that went to expenses, including $10,000 on gas for his van alone. Therefore, the charity needs as many donations as possible to ensure it has enough to purchase fresh food and extra items for the pantry when needed. The Staffords would also welcome additional corporate sponsors, as they currently just have one.
But NJ Food & Clothing Rescue is facing an even bigger problem than money. Phil said it is likely the nonprofit will soon lose its aforementioned warehouse — where the charity stores enough food for approximately 50 families in case of emergencies — because the business that lets the Staffords use it is experiencing financial difficulties. Losing that site will not affect the pantry, but Phil said it will mean the Staffords will no longer be able to provide care packages to struggling families or single parents who have just fled an abusive household. That is a possibility they hope never occurs.
To prevent it from happening, the Staffords are offering a $2,000 reward to anyone who can connect NJ Food & Clothing Rescue with a suitable replacement warehouse. Specifically, they are looking for a space close to Wallington that is between 2,000 to 4,000 square feet and on the ground level. It should also have 24/7 access, some parking, and a bathroom. Ideally, it would also have a kitchen and an area where the Staffords can park a trailer they use for additional food storage.
“We hope we can find something soon,” Phil said. “Otherwise, we’re going to lose a lot of food that could help a lot of people.”
Looking ahead
Much like how Superman is harmed by Kryptonite, the Staffords’ one weakness is time — or lack thereof. In addition to Phil working 100 hour-weeks, Renay spends nearly all her days balancing her fulltime job with the organizational responsibilities of running a nonprofit. Add to that the stress of finding a new warehouse and one would not blame the Staffords for calling it quits.
But could Phil and Renay ever leave NJ Food & Clothing Rescue behind? It seems that is less likely to happen than the Man of Steel making peace with Lex Luthor.
“Sometimes it can get overwhelming, but the end result is all worth it,” Renay said. “It makes me feel good knowing we’re helping people.”
To learn more about NJ Food & Clothing Rescue, visit www.njfoodclothingrescue.org. And if you can recommend a warehouse — or would just like to donate or volunteer — contact Phil and Renay at 201-747-8706 or njfoodandclothingrescue@aol.com.
Featured image: Phil and Renay Stafford, shown here presiding over their pantry at Wallington’s Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Church, run the nonprofit NJ Food & Clothing Rescue to feed the hungry while combatting food waste. (Photo by Archdiocese of Newark/Sean Quinn)
