Before we dive into today’s post, I want to say a big “Hello and Welcome” to all the new readers who have come to check out our Words over Swords community. There’s a plethora of worthwhile creators and material on Substack, and I appreciate you spending some of your valuable time with me.
Welcome, also, to all the folks I caught up with or met at the NASW-NJ Conference earlier this month. Words over Swords may not be a “social work blog,” but it’s definitely social work-informed. Thanks for your interest in what I’m trying to build here on Substack. I’m glad you’re here.
I have four main goals for Words over Swords:
To generate an alternate narrative to the messages of hatred, cruelty, anger, and disconnection that dominate our political and media landscapes—one based on principles of compassion, empathy, understanding, authenticity, and respect, which I refer to as Leading with Love.
To create an online Community of Caring, where all community members are valued, respected, and acknowledged for their basic humanity, allowing us to be authentically present in this community. Words over Swords is more than a blog; it’s a place for connection. If you’re a subscriber, follower, or even an occasional reader, you’re part of the community. Welcome!
To create an online Community of Sharing, where members feel comfortable dropping into the comments to say hello, offer words of support, and show appreciation for the efforts we put forth here on Substack and beyond. Members are also encouraged to share resources—things you’re reading, watching, writing, listening to, and doing that give you hope, guidance, and inspiration. We need each other in these times. I want to create a space where reading the comments is actually a good thing.
To create a Community of Giving, where we leverage the power of our online community to support non-profit organizations in our local, real-world communities. Visit my “Giving Tzedakah” page to learn more.
At the end of this post, I’ve added links to the Giving Tzedakah page and four other “essential” Words over Swords essays I think may resonate with you. Check them out when you have the time.
Meet the Words over Swords Featured Non-Profit Organization for 2Q2025
I believe we can leverage the power of our online community to help support vital helping organizations in our real-world communities. On April 1, I launched the Words over Swords Giving Tzedakah Project, an experiment in building an online Community of Giving. I’ve activated the paid subscription and tipping (via the Buy Me a Coffee add-on, which I’ve relabeled “Give Tzedakah”) features for Words over Swords and will donate any money I make to a different non-profit organization each quarter. You can learn more about these efforts on my Giving Tzedakah page (also linked below).
As the first recipient organization for this project, I chose the Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ). I made this choice for several reasons:
I felt that hunger and food insecurity were causes many readers would be able to get behind.
Across New Jersey, 50 communities have been designated as “Food Deserts,” including parts of Camden, Atlantic City, and 13 other communities located in South New Jersey, the region where I live (Hurdle, 2022; NJEDA, 2022).
The federal government has recently taken steps to reduce or eliminate funding for many non-profit organizations, including CFBNJ (Jackson, 2025).
The federal government has proposed plans to reduce eligibility and benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps), which would further exacerbate food insecurity (Bergh, 2025).
While I hope to have the subscribers to Words over Swords nominate the non-profits we support in future quarters, I needed an organization to launch this project. CFBNJ is not only a worthy recipient, but also an organization where I have no professional relationships or potential conflicts of interest (see also, the essay “The Import of Being Earnest,” linked below).
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY FOODBANK OF NEW JERSEY
The Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ), a member of Feeding America®, works to end hunger by distributing food to more than 800 community partners—including food pantries, soup kitchens, and child and senior feeding programs—and by connecting neighbors in need with supportive solutions.
HUNGER IN NEW JERSEY
More than 44 million people in the U.S. are food insecure. Nearly 1,000,000 of them live in New Jersey, including over 260,000 children.
Nearly 675,000 of them reside in CFBNJ’s 15-county service area, including 185,000 children. The majority of households we serve have at least one member with a paying job. Some of our neighbors in need work multiple jobs but still struggle to make ends meet. They often make tough choices - deciding between food and other necessities. Black and Hispanic families, as well as LGBTQ+ individuals, are disproportionately impacted by hunger, facing barriers to economic stability. College students, seniors, and residents of resort towns also face unique challenges that make them more susceptible to food insecurity. Hunger is a major concern for those affected by emergencies, as well. Recently, we have seen pandemics, natural disasters, government shutdowns, and economic downturns increase need (CFBNJ, 2024a).
A March 21, 2025 article published by the Press of Atlantic City, quoted CFBNJ’s president and CEO, Elizabeth McCarthy, regarding the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s decision to cut the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement, which provides funding for food banks to purchase fresh food from local farmers and producers for distribution to neighbors in need:
As CFBNJ administers that program for the State of New Jersey, this means that we will lose our funding to do this important work. We’re deeply disappointed as the cut threatens the livelihoods of hardworking farmers (especially at small farms) and eliminates an important source of healthy local food for food insecure New Jerseyans (Jackson, 2025).
McCarthy went on to state CFBNJ would lose $9.9 million through 2027 if these federal cuts are enacted.
A Deeper Dive into the FoodBank
The work of CFBNJ began 50 years ago, when its founder, Kathleen DiChiara, began collecting and distributing food from the back of her station wagon. CFBNJ incorporated as a 501(c)3 organization in 1982; since then, it has grown to become the largest anti-hunger, anti-poverty organization in New Jersey (CFBNJ, 2024a).
Per the CFBNJ website:
Mission
We serve as a champion for addressing root causes of hunger, delivering neighbor- centric solutions, and fostering collaborative partnerships across all sectors of society for New Jersey.
Vision
Build healthier communities free from hunger across New Jersey.
Values
We are a culture of caring.
Compassion: We see people as people, not as their challenges or job titles. We put ourselves in their shoes when we interact with others.
Inclusion: We collaborate with a generous and flexible mindset. We assume people have the best intentions. We treat all as our neighbors.
Empowerment: We encourage curiosity and learning that creates growth. We support and celebrate action that benefits our communities, our culture, and each person.
Accountability: We promise to make a measurable impact on the lives of people in need and provide an honest assessment of our culture of caring (CFBNJ, 2024a).
What Is a Food Bank?
A food bank is a non-profit organization that gathers, prepares and distributes food to food pantries and meal programs serving neighbors in need.
What Is a Food Pantry?
A food pantry is a place where anyone can go to receive food during a time of need. When supplied with food from a food bank, pantries can serve many more people from their surrounding community. Pantries look different in every community. For example, they can be connected to a church, school, or community organization, or they can be an independent organization.
What Is the Difference between a Food Bank and a Food Pantry?
Unlike a food pantry, a food bank has the space and capacity to handle large donations from the food industry. For example, a food bank has room for a donation of thousands of pounds of frozen, bulk carrots in one of its coolers and can safely process that donation into family-sized portions in its reclamation department. Food banks and food pantries work together to fill neighbors’ plates. The food bank sources, processes, and temporarily stores large quantities of various foods. Then, food pantries choose the items and quantities they need to do their work.
How Does a Food Bank Work?
Food banks act as food storehouses and distribution facilities for other partner agencies working to end hunger and usually do not give out food directly to people facing hunger themselves.
At the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, we gather food from a variety of sources, such as farmers, manufacturers, retailers, distributors, the USDA and food drives. We also purchase food to fill in any gaps in donations. Last year, our food came from: 36% Donated; 22% Government; and 42% Purchased (CFBNJ, 2024b).
You can learn more about the Community FoodBank of New Jersey at https://cfbnj.org
All Words over Swords content is available free of charge. To receive new posts and help spread a better, more positive narrative, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Income received from paid subscriptions will be donated to non-profit organizations. See the “Giving Tzedakah” page for more information.
And now, as promised, Five Essential Words over Swords Essays
Allow me to introduce you to a timeless Jewish tradition. It's called “Giving Tzedakah,” and I think bringing it here to Words over Swords has the potential to be transformative, both online and IRL.
TLDR: The Hebrew word tzedakah means "charity." That's what the Giving Tzedakah Project is about.
My inaugural essay. A polished version of my February 2025 Facebook post that inspired Words over Swords. In which I introduce the concept of Leading with Love, the need to treat others with compassion and understanding, and the importance of seeking to connect across difference in a time where social ties and relationships are fraying.
TLDR: To quote the Bill and Ted film franchise, "Be excellent to each other."
In this essay, I address the statement made by Elon Musk and other tech oligarchs who claim that empathy is a bug in Western civilization, and has been weaponized against society.
An essay on personal and professional ethics that also outlines the current configuration of the Words over Swords Giving Tzedakah Project. If you haven't read the Giving Tzedakah page yet, you may want to do that first.
TLDR: How we do things matters as much, if not more, than why we do things.
In which I share and discuss a Facebook conversation I had in February with an old friend who comes from the opposite side of the political spectrum.
TLDR: When we approach conversations with respect, curiosity, and a willingness to be vulnerable, we establish the groundwork for authentic relationship and the ability to connect with others across differences.
I donated to the Community FoodBank of New Jersey - thanks for the great work you are doing to support out community, Jeff!