TOMS RIVER - A local resident and philanthropist has started a fundraiser for The Peoples Pantry, the Hooper Avenue food bank that is struggling to find the money to keep its doors open past July.

Scott Gartner, a North Dover resident who owns a North Carolina apparel factory, read about the Pantry's troubles in the Asbury Park Press and decided to do something to help.

Gartner is the founder of a local group, "Love Thy Neighbor USA," that aims to increase understanding among people of different religious faiths, races and ethnic backgrounds. The group has held several events in recent months aimed at connecting residents of different faith traditions, including a Challah bake in March.

Gartner's GoFundMe campaign aims to raise $180,000 for the Pantry. Begun late last week, it had raised nearly $2,000 by late on Friday.

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The Peoples Pantry Relief Center serves 3,500 to 4,000 people a month, providing shopping baskets full of nutritious food along with guidance about everything from applying for government benefits to finding a job or a new place to live.

Peoples Pantry Executive Director Patricia Donaghue said it takes $165,000 a year to keep the pantry running. That includes her salary and that of one other staff member, and payments for brick-and-mortar costs such as heat and electricity.

Learn more about the Pantry's funding difficulties in the video above this story.

The pantry also relies on a full staff of volunteers who donate 27,000 hours a year to assist clients. The pantry, the largest in Monmouth and Ocean counties, distributes between 1.4 million and 1.8 million pounds of food a year, Donaghue said.

Born immediately following superstorm Sandy in 2012, the Peoples Pantry initially was operated by the Toms River Regional school district before becoming a nonprofit entity run by Donaghue.

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The storm, which caused unprecedented damage in Ocean County, exposed an ugly truth: thousands of residents are barely making ends meet. An unexpected expense, like an illness or expensive car repair, can force people over the edge and into poverty.

Want to help out the Peoples Pantry? Contribute to Gartner's fundraiser, make a donation by visiting the pantry's website, www.thepeoplespantry.org, drop supplies off at the pantry, 1769 Hooper Ave., call 732-731-1417 or visit the pantry's Facebook page for more information.

Jean Mikle covers Toms River and several other Ocean County towns, and has been writing about local government and politics at the Jersey Shore for nearly 35 years. A finalist for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in public service, she's also passionate about the Shore's storied music scene. Contact her: @jeanmikle, 732-643-4050, jmikle@gannettnj.com.