NJ food banks get $10M

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New Jersey food banks will receive $10 million in aid from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

Gov. Phil Murphy signed Assembly Bill 5405 on April 21, directing $10 million in CARES Act funding to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, which will be distributed to seven food banks throughout the state.

The Community Food Bank of New Jersey will receive $5,200,000; The Food Bank of South Jersey will receive $1,500,000; Fulfill Monmouth & Ocean will receive $1,500,000; Mercer Street Friends Food Bank will receive $1,100,000; Norwescap will receive $300,000; Southern Regional Food Distribution Center will receive $300,000; and Farmers Against Hunger will receive $100,000.

“Food insecurity is a quiet crisis that has been made worse by the pandemic,” said Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-3rd District, said in a prepared statement. “The economic fallout has made it tragically hard for a growing number of families to put food on their tables. No one in America should be allowed to go hungry and no family should be forced to live with the fear of not knowing where the next meal is coming from. These food banks are a lifeline for those in need during a time of difficult challenges.”

According to Feeding America, 1.2 million people are food insecure in New Jersey.