Governor’s Hunger Initiative Helping Families in Need

HILLSIDE – More than a $1 million is currently being distributed to New Jersey’s six emergency feeding operations as part of Gov. Jon S. Corzine’s Hunger Initiative to feed more of the state’s neediest residents.
“I believe it is the responsibility of government to focus on the most basic needs of the most vulnerable citizens: food, shelter, health care and education,” said Corzine in a release on his July 30 visit to the Community Foodbank of New Jersey.
“Throughout the budget process I made it clear that feeding the needy was a priority and the Legislature stood behind me on that. These funds will help feed many more people at a time when the demand for such services is growing due to the uncertain economy.”
Corzine’s FY 2009 budget allocates $4 million for the State Food Purchase Program, which is administered by the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Funds are disseminated to the food banks for the purchase of nutritious foods in four quarterly installments throughout the year. First quarter checks totaling $1,155,000 were mailed last week.
Food banks use the funding to purchase fruits and vegetables and other nutritious foods and distribute the items to their networks of food pantries, homeless shelters and soup kitchens.
“Our state’s food banks are a lifeline for the 660 local pantries, homeless shelters and soup kitchens throughout the state that provide a vital service to state residents in need,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Charles M. Kuperus. “The State Food Purchase Program funding not only encourages the purchase of local produce and other products from our state’s farmers, but also promotes healthy eating among the hungry.”
The State Food Purchase Program began in 2006 with a $3 million allocation for nutrient-dense food purchases for the hungry, which enabled the state’s food banks to purchase 3.9 million pounds of food that fed an average of 262,695 pounds of food monthly that fed 69,110 recipients each month for the first year of the program. Another million dollars was used to buy needed equipment, such as refrigerators and freezers for the local distribution agencies.
In 2007, the program was continued with $4 million for food purchases, with $100,000 used to help gleaning operations. Gleaning organizations gather surplus food directly from farmers and distribute the produce to hunger relief organizations in the state.
The first quarterly distribution of funds this year for the SFPP included: $799,705 for Community FoodBank of New Jersey, Hillside; $168,862 for Food Bank of South Jersey, Pennsauken; $93,255 for Foodbank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, Neptune; $51,871 for Mercer Street Friends, Ewing; $24,317 for NORWESCAP, Phillipsburg; and $16,990 for Southern Regional Food Distribution Center, Vineland.
The amounts allocated to each of the six emergency feeding operations are based on the number of people they serve and other criteria. The next quarterly fund distributions are slated for November 2008, and February and May 2009.
For information on the State Food Purchase Program, visit: www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/fn/fooddistrib/foodpurchaseprogram.html .