WALLINGTON, New Jersey — More people know Phil Stafford as “Superman” than by his name. That’s because for 10 years, he has donned a red cape bearing the superhero’s logo and crisscrossed New Jersey in his white GMC Savana van, collecting donated food and redistributing it to those in need.
Stafford estimates he devotes 100 hours a week driving around the state for the charity, N.J. Food & Clothing Rescue, he and his wife Renay run in connection with a weekly food pantry held at Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church in Wallington.
Their combined efforts help 2,000 families each week who are facing food insecurity. Stafford saw that the need was so great that he was motivated to quit his job as a painter, and says he does it for no pay.
“There’s no way that you can put a monetary value on the feelings that you get when you see someone in trouble and you help them out,” he said.
Stafford, 64, is not religious, but Renay is, and she’s a longtime parishioner of Most Sacred Heart. She is a lead coordinator at a home health agency, and is on call 24/7, but still spends every Saturday she has available helping at the church’s food pantry. She coordinates the approximately 20 volunteers of N.J. Food & Clothing Rescue and handles food pickups starting at 8 a.m.
“God is a big part of my life, and I believe he put us in this position to help,” she said. “It doesn’t matter how tired I am, because I know that if it wasn’t meant to be, we wouldn’t be able to do it.”
The couple knows only too well what it means to be in need. They lost everything to the floods brought by Hurricane Floyd in 1999, after which Stafford realized that his true purpose was giving back to the community.
He says they have received unwavering support from Most Sacred Heart in their six-year partnership.
“I have always believed in helping people. The Church has always taught to help people, so it aligns.” Stafford said.
The supply is there, Stafford insists, to feed everyone three meals a day. The problem, he says, is logistics, which is where N.J. Food & Clothing Rescue steps in. Local stores such as Wawa and Lidl have food they know is going to expire, and instead of tossing it into a dumpster, they give “Superman” a call.
He heads there within a day, hauling all they can give into his van, a heavy-duty model Stafford uses to handle the thousands of pounds of produce he collects. Since getting it two years ago, he has put 34,000 miles on it.
The current base of operations for N.J. Food & Clothing Rescue is a warehouse space they use to store excess food and keep frozen items from spoiling. A good Samaritan lets them use the space rent-free, but is now facing financial hardships that could force him to lose the warehouse. The Staffords are currently looking for an alternative.
Despite the lingering nickname and eccentric costume, Stafford has never seen himself as Superman.
“I wear a cape to fool around, but it’s a very serious thing. More people need help. More than anyone realizes,” Stafford said.
Americans throw away $218 billion worth of food every year, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Though it is one of the wealthiest states, 11% of New Jersey’s population is food insecure, on par with New York City where an estimated 14.6% of residents face food insecurity.
To donate to N.J. Food & Clothing Rescue, visit njfoodclothingrescue.org/. They accept monetary, food, and toiletry donations. The nonprofit is looking for a new warehouse; contact the organization at (201) 747-8706 or njfoodandclothingrescue@aol.com with any information.