Who We Are
The Bradley Food Pantry is an all-volunteer organization that has been serving our neighbors in need in coastal Monmouth County communities for more than 40 years. More than 300 volunteers from all walks of life offer their time, talents, and passion to keep the Pantry operating smoothly and to welcome our patrons six days a week. A Board of Trustees oversees all operations. The Bradley Food Pantry Inc is a 501(c)3 non-profit.
How We Serve
For decades, Pantry volunteers packed standard bags of food staples for each client who arrived, sometimes able to meet specific requests. Under the leadership of Director Linda Curtiss, the post-pandemic Pantry moved to a “client-choice” style of operations, set up more like a market, where food is on open display and patrons choose the food they need for their families. This greatly enhanced patron independence, reduced food waste, and provided a much-welcome model for all involved. In addition, through partnerships with farmers and others, we have substantially increased the availability of seasonal fresh produce and healthier food options. We will remain a “client-choice” pantry where fellow community members are warmly welcomed.
Where Our Food Comes From
The Pantry enjoys significant support from Fulfill (the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties), as well as several local supermarkets, restauranteurs, farms, and neighbors who provide continual donations. That said, we still spend up to $10,000 a month purchasing food in order to have a full complement of the staples needed by our families and we always appreciate donations of food and personal hygiene products as well as financial contributions, which allow us to feed even more families.
Our Increasing Need
From humble beginnings when 2 or 3 families a week came looking for help, the Pantry now serves an average of over 120 families a day, six days a week.
In 2025, we welcomed 4390 distinct families who came to us during their 34,862 Pantry visits and took away over 1.3 million pounds of food, plus toiletries and baby products when available.
But numbers are not our full story. None of our patrons are faceless statistics. We know that asking for help is not easy. That is why every single person who comes to us for food – be it once a week, once a month or once a year – counts. And they count on us to be constant in an increasingly unpredictable world.
Our History
In 1982, Eleanor Pierson, in conversation with her priest at St. James Episcopal Church, started the Bradley Food Pantry to provide food to the growing number of people who were knocking on the church doors looking for help in feeding their families. So began the journey that is today's Pantry. What began as a small, informal offering has grown into a large and vital feeding program that serves thousands of clients each year and provides food security and hope for the vulnerable in Bradley Beach and surrounding communities. For more on the history and evolution of the Pantry, click here.
For More Information
Bradley Food Pantry Press Kit - with info sheets on our Mission, History, Fiscal Management, Board of Trustees, Patrons, Operations, Volunteers and Contacts
Bradley Food Pantry Overview - one-pager that provides a quick overview about the Pantry.