Englewood — The Office of Concern in Englewood may not appear to be much from the outside but when you walk in, it’s easy to see the meaning of the phrase "it’s what’s on the inside that counts."

There are shelves stocked full of pasta, cereal and canned vegetables. There are freezers filled with chicken and tables full of baked goods – all of which is given to residents who are in need.

George McKenna, director of development, said the Office of Concern serves 700 people each week, mainly residents of greater Englewood and some outlying suburbs like Teaneck for a total of about 12,000 households per year.

"We’re serving the poorest of the poor," he said. "Their take-home pay is less than $8,000 per year so with food stamps and everything it comes up to about $13,000.

"It’s really a hardscrabbled existence that they have so we do our best to help them."

Monday through Thursday, mornings and afternoons, volunteers for the organization fill grocery bags with combinations of canned items, protein, bread, hygiene and dairy products.

These items, along with some monetary compensation, come from churchgoers from Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OLMC) in Tenafly, other local churches, schools and the Foodbank of New Jersey. McKenna said the Office of Concern purchases a lot of items from the food bank at a discount rate and receives a truckload of products on the first and third Wednesday of the month. Foundations, companies and corporations also contribute to the organization.

McKenna said a sermon Father Leonard Gilman from OLMC gave helped guide him to the Office of Concern in the spirit of volunteerism.

"He was talking about St. James when St. James said, ‘You can do all the praying you want but if you ignore the poorest people in the midst, you’re not really following the doctrines of Jesus.’"

McKenna said he wants to spread the word about the Office of Concern because it’s such a small organization that doesn’t get a lot of recognition.

"There are other organizations that have large paid staffs and have P.R. offices and all of that," he said. "We’re just a hardscrabble organization, we know we help an awful lot of people and that’s what really counts."

Frank Tarsney, secretary/treasurer, has seen a lot of growth in the organization since he started volunteering eight years ago.

"It just flourished," he said. "We were giving out 85 bags a week. Now we’re up to 1,000 a month."

McKenna said he expects to see an increase in people needing groceries due to the "sour economy" and is very anxious for volunteers to help.

"The spiritual fuel that we have, I think, is dedication," he said. "We have people who really want to get involved and know that the real dimension of religion and morality is helping others who are down and out."

E-mail: andrews@northjersey.com or call 201-894-6723