The Go To Place for LBI and the Southern Ocean County Region

Starve Poverty International (SPI) is a non- profit, faith-based organization that has been breaking the chains of poverty since 1995. We provide physical aid and human connection to impoverished people, focused on Barnegat, but also in Ocean County, elsewhere in New Jersey, and in other parts of the country. We are not part of any church or denomination, but we collaborate with several churches and a wide variety of other organizations. We are funded by private donors, local businesses, foundations, and government grants. Core Values Love matters: we seek to drip the love of Christ on one person at a time. You matter: every person is made in the image of God – you are important! Integrity matters: we do what we say so that you can depend on us. Powered by volunteers: we log more than 5,000 volunteer hours per year. For the long haul: we have put down roots; we will be here for you for years to come. Starve Poverty grew out of the vision of our founder and president, Ron Fraser, beginning on a trip in 1990 to Tijuana, Mexico, where he witnessed extreme poverty first hand. He came back with a clear message: You can make a difference. He began leading his congregation on mission trips to Tijuana, he became frustrated with the language barrier. He realized that he could not use his counseling talents effectively when he had to speak to people through translators. In 1995 he had an opportunity to teach a class in pastoral counseling on the island of Exuma, in the Caribbean. There he saw the same depth of poverty as in Tijuana, but the people spoke English. He began leading mission trips to repair the homes, meet other needs, and connect to the poor people of Exuma. Thus, Starve Poverty International was born. Over the next 25 years we went to Exuma at least 45 times. We did in-school programs, home repairs, vacation bible schools, a special needs classroom, provided school shoes for children, emergency relief funds, and whatever else we could think of. Furthermore, we stayed in touch with many of the people we helped, forming enduring friendships that lasted, in some cases, for 20 years. However, when CoViD-19 came along in 2020, we were not allowed to travel to Exuma. It was time for SPI to come home. We visited St. Vincent Mission,in David, Kentucky, where we caught their vision for community development. We came back and began looking for a place to put down roots. Barnegat, NJ, welcomed us and quickly arranged to provide us with a building that we could call home. Situated between two low-income communities, it was an excellent place to develop community. We opened our doors in February 2022.