From One Carload of Food to 60,500 Meals: How Street Love Grew Into a South Jersey Force for Good

ATLANTIC CITY — What began as one woman's decision to hand out food to people living on the streets during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic has grown into a South Jersey nonprofit that has provided thousands of meals, partnered with major community organizations and recently helped pack more than 60,000 meals for families in need.

Appearing on WOND's AC Mike Lopez Show, Street Love Foundation founder and president Liz Schneider and Vice President Jill Plotnick reflected on the organization's remarkable growth from a grassroots effort in March 2020 into a volunteer-driven charity serving Atlantic City and surrounding communities.

Schneider said the idea for Street Love was born after the pandemic shut down much of the country.

"I thought to myself, what can I do?" she recalled.

She gathered food from her kitchen, drove into Atlantic City and began offering meals to people who had suddenly found themselves with fewer resources after shelters reduced services.

"I rolled the window down and asked people that were on the street... 'Are you hungry?' And they said, 'Yes,'" Schneider said.

She admitted she was initially hesitant.

"At first I was a little judgmental," Schneider said. "I didn't know these people. They didn't know me."

But after returning home, she realized she couldn't stop.

"They need me," she remembered thinking.

Plotnick soon joined the effort, and the pair began delivering food, clothing, hygiene supplies and winter coats to people experiencing homelessness throughout Atlantic City.

"The biggest thing, don't you think, Liz, was the relationships that we formed?" Plotnick said during the interview. "We knew them. We all became like a family."

As word spread, neighbors began volunteering to make lunches and donate supplies.

"We started asking people on our street," Schneider said. "That's how we came up with the name Street Love."

One simple philosophy guided the meals they prepared.

"When people asked, 'What do you want me to make?' my answer was, 'If you looked in that bag, what would you want to eat?'" Plotnick said.

The organization eventually became an official nonprofit after a family friend encouraged Schneider to formalize the operation.

"Because of him, people started donating money and things," she said. "We started partnering with other organizations."

Today, Street Love works alongside organizations including the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, Salvation Army, Jewish Family Service, Covenant House, the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City and several others.

Rather than duplicate existing services, Schneider said Street Love tries to provide the "little extra" that many nonprofits cannot afford.

"It's the things that the organizations don't have the money in their budget for," she explained.

That has included monthly pizza parties for youth at Covenant House, welcome bags, hygiene supplies and even purchasing a commercial-grade water slide and popcorn machine for the Boys & Girls Club after volunteers noticed children had few recreational options during the summer.

"We looked around and said, 'There's no pool,'" Plotnick recalled. "Our hearts went crazy."

The foundation's latest effort brought together hundreds of volunteers at Harrah's Resort Atlantic City, where participants packed 60,500 shelf-stable meals that will help families and individuals facing food insecurity.

The meals—consisting of oatmeal, rice and beans that require only water to prepare—have a shelf life of about two years and are distributed through a variety of community partners.

Schneider said some are provided directly to the New Jersey State Police, who keep them in patrol vehicles to hand out when they encounter people in need.

Others are distributed through schools for weekend backpack food programs and local nonprofit organizations.

The annual meal-packing event has grown with the support of Harrah's Atlantic City, which Schneider said has donated ballroom space for three consecutive years.

"I can't thank them enough," she said. "Every single department was involved—facilities, tech, marketing, administration. The list goes on."

Plotnick said one of the most rewarding aspects of the event is seeing people from all walks of life volunteer together.

State troopers, teenagers, families and senior citizens all worked side-by-side during this year's effort.

"I think there's something almost magical about that," she said. "All of us together."

Schneider emphasized that anyone can get involved, regardless of age or experience.

"We ask people, 'What do you want to do? What's your strength?'" she said. "Anybody can help."

She added that volunteers can contribute in many different ways, from baking and assembling snack bags to participating in future service projects.

Schneider said Street Love remains committed to ensuring donations directly benefit those in need.

"One hundred percent of the money that we raise goes to helping people," she said. "We don't spend a dime."

For more information about Street Love Foundation or to volunteer, visit the organization's website or follow Street Love with Heart on Instagram.