Franklin Food Bank to Receive Community Champion Hunger Leadership Award

The Congressional Hunger Center is pleased to announce that it has selected the Franklin Food Bank of Somerset, New Jersey, to receive the 2025 Community Champion Hunger Leadership Award. This award is presented each year in recognition of an individual or organization making substantial strides to eradicate hunger at the local level.

The Franklin Food Bank supports the food needs of their local community in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. Founded in a church basement in 1975, the Franklin Food Bank is now a robust organization with 18 employees that, in 2024, distributed 3.1 million pounds food, logged more than 30,000 visits, and had volunteers contribute more than 17,000 hours of their time. Thanks to the Food Bank’s programs, 94% of families receiving services reported that they were better able to afford other necessities such as rent, utilities, clothing, education, medication, and transportation.

In addition to their food programs, the Franklin Food Bank also provides health screenings ranging from A1c to blood pressure, cholesterol and cancer; nutrition workshops; and assistance with SNAP benefits enrollment. In 2024, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott recognized the Franklin Food Bank with a $1 million grant from her Yield Giving foundation.

“On behalf of the Franklin Food Bank, I am deeply humbled and honored to receive this Community Champion Award,” Derek J. Smith, Executive Director of the Franklin Food Bank, said. “This recognition is not a reflection of any one person’s efforts, but a testament to the incredible dedication and compassion of our staff, volunteers, trustees, partners, donors, and the entire Franklin Township community. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and we are inspired by the unwavering spirit of our neighbors who face food insecurity with such resilience…We believe that by working together, with a spirit of empathy and determination, we can build a stronger, more food-secure future for all.”

Derek Smith will accept the Community Champion Award on behalf of the Franklin Food Bank at the Congressional Hunger Center’s Hunger Leadership Awards on June 4 in Washington, D.C. This annual event brings together leaders from government, philanthropy, the private sector, and the wider anti-hunger community to recognize distinguished leaders whose vision and commitment are building the momentum to achieve zero hunger in the U.S. and around the world.