Providing shelter, support and hope.
What Is Beyond the Bell? Meeting Hunger Where It Happens
At the Southern Regional Food Distribution Center, we believe no child should go without access to healthy food—before school, after school, or during summer break.
That’s why we created Beyond the Bell, a flexible, school-based food program that supports students and families outside of regular school hours—including:
• Evenings
• Weekends
• School holidays
• Summer months
Beyond the Bell is…
Beyond the Bell is more than a program—it’s a promise to meet students where they are, with dignity, consistency, and care.
Interested in bringing Beyond the Bell to your school?
Contact Amy Serra Queeney
amy@ruraldevelopmentcorp.org | 856-327-3145
Joining Beyond the Bell isn’t a simple decision. It takes vision, commitment, and a willingness to do something new for the sake of students and families. It’s not for the faint of heart.
Each school that opens its doors to Beyond the Bell is choosing to lead boldly — knowing that with the challenges come extraordinary rewards.
They are choosing to:
• Step outside the traditional role of “school” to meet needs that go far beyond the classroom.
• Say yes to serving students with dignity, compassion, and consistency.
• Build stronger connections with families by showing that they are cared for in every season.
The rewards are unmistakable: students who can focus because hunger isn’t a distraction, families who feel supported during tough times, and communities that grow stronger together.
To our school partners: thank you for your courage, your leadership, and your heart. You are proving every day that schools can be more than places of learning — they can be centers of hope and resilience.
Together, we are showing what’s possible when education and nourishment walk hand in hand.
What Is Beyond the Bell? Meeting Hunger Where It Happens
At the Southern Regional Food Distribution Center, we believe no child should go without access to healthy food—before school, after school, or during summer break.
That’s why we created Beyond the Bell, a flexible, school-based food program that supports students and families outside of regular school hours—including:
• Evenings
• Weekends
• School holidays
• Summer months
Beyond the Bell is…
Beyond the Bell is more than a program—it’s a promise to meet students where they are, with dignity, consistency, and care.
Interested in bringing Beyond the Bell to your school?
Contact Amy Serra Queeney
amy@ruraldevelopmentcorp.org | 856-327-3145
Thanksgiving Turkeys for Pantries: Southern Regional Food Distribution Center in Vineland, NJ Hosts Annual Holiday Giveaway for their 142 Pantry Partners Across Nine Counties
**Vineland, NJ – November 20, 2024, 9:00 AM** – In a heartwarming annual tradition, the Southern Regional Food Distribution Center [SRFDC], one of the six major food banks in New Jersey, distributed Thanksgiving turkeys, and roaster chickens to its 142 partner food pantries across Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Salem, and Union counties. This event ensures thousands of families in New Jersey can celebrate Thanksgiving with a wholesome meal.
Starting as early as 7:00 AM, vehicles from pantry partners began lining up along the center’s driveway, extending half a mile down Mays Landing Road in Vineland, NJ as the day progresses. By 9:00 AM, the driveway is a bustling scene of gratitude and community spirit as staff from the Southern Regional Food Distribution Center, supported by our County/State officials and community members, work tirelessly to hand out turkeys. Thanksgiving staples will be delivered/picked up later in the week, just in time for Thanksgiving!
To support pantry partners who wait in line, the SRFDC will offer treats and refreshments, fostering a festive atmosphere despite the early hours, sponsored by the Bottino Brothers. “This event is all-hands-on-deck,” says Yesenia Mcwhite, Food Coordinator for the center. “We’re deeply committed to helping local families enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal, and this day is one of the most fulfilling on our calendar.”
Each turkey handed out is more than just food—it’s a symbol of community, support, and the shared commitment to making sure no one goes without on Thanksgiving. This distribution event highlights the ongoing dedication of the Southern Regional Food Distribution Center to combat food insecurity and bring hope to families throughout Southern New Jersey. While we do not distribute food directly to the public, we have amazing pantry partners available to you during their scheduled distribution days and times. Please give us a call at 856-327-3145 for pantry locations.
Southern Regional Food Distribution Center is an entity of the Rural Development Corporation, LLC., a designated 501(c)3, who is the parent nonprofit for the Cumberland Family Shelter. Our shared vision focuses on homelessness and food sustainability.
This unified approach not only addresses immediate challenges faced by individuals and families but also aims to create long-term solutions through empathy-driven services. By emphasizing empathy and inclusivity, we create a supportive environment where individuals feel respected and empowered as they work toward stability and self-sufficiency.
Together, our efforts make a significant impact in Cumberland County and beyond, demonstrating the power of community collaboration in tackling complex social issues.
If you are a 501(c)(3) church / organization interested in helping combat food insecurity in your community by starting a food pantry, please contact Yesenia Mcwhite at 856-327-3145.
The Rural Development Corporation doubled the capacity it has for clients at the Cumberland Family Shelter after opening a new building at the facility.
Volunteers spent approximately two years renovating one of the shelter buildings on the facility — replacing the roof, drywall ceiling, bathrooms, extermination of a termite infestation and other overhauls.
According to the people who worked on the renovations, basically everything in the building was replaced except for the brick walls.
Members of the Rural Development Corporation officially dedicated the building during Monday’s open house event.
“This is a very exciting day for us,” said Michael P. Killeen, board president for the development corporation. “It’s a day that we’ve been looking forward to for years and a lot of people — all of you and others that are not here today — have made this day possible.”
Known simply as building #2, the building allows 56 more people who are homeless and in need of assistance to stay at Cumberland Family Shelter. Monday’s dedication ceremony took place in the common area when one first walks into the building and from there the visitors took tours of the living spaces. Each room had new bunk beds and dressers for the future residents — with one room even containing a white crib for a homeless parent with a small child.
“Back when we started the remodeling of this building, we had a slight indicator two years ago because of the economy that it may be needed,” said Tammy Morris, executive director. “We just didn’t think it would take this long to finish the project.”
While the renovations were done on building #2, building #1 served as the sole shelter space at the facility and a maximum capacity of 56 residents. Due to the limited capacity, there has been a waiting list of people who wish to use the shelter.
“So, the pressure was on to hurry up and get this building done so we can start assisting those in need of getting help,” Morris said.
Each resident is given food three times a day from the Southern Regional Food Distribution Center, which is also run by the Rural Development Corporation and is located on the same property as the shelter, along with clothes, hygiene products and bus transportation.
With the renovations completed, more people can now be given much needed assistance at the homeless shelter.
Christopher Smaniotto, who works maintenance for the non-profit, worked every day he could over the two-year process to fix the building and helped the 20 volunteers who assisted during the process.
“Basically it was a ground-up renovation — everything but the bricks pretty much,” he said. “All the trim and everything got done.”
Looking at the finished product — some touch-ups aside — he said the building turned out very well.
Arlene Cherwien of Redeemer Lutheran Church took pictures of the project as each piece of renovation was put in place and the transformation has been nothing short of miraculous.
“Every time I came here there was a change,” she said. “It just evolved. It was amazing to watch.”
Three of the men who helped the project — Redeemer Lutheran Church Project Coordinator Edward Morvay, Pastor Gary Stiegler and Wayne Grant — were honored with plaques at the ceremony.
Officials also honored the memory of two volunteers who died before seeing the project come to fruition — Augusta Allen and Robert Penven — by making a plaque bearing their names to hang up in the facility.
Rural Development Corporation also plans on making similar renovations to building #1 in the future with updates similar to building #2.
All of the work is done to fill a need in Cumberland County and to help people, according to Killeen.
“Life matters — every person matters to us,” he said. “Regardless of race or color — every person matters”
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