Yesterday, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) held an event to mark the official launch of a new SNAP mobile outreach vehicle. Sarah Adelman, Commissioner of New Jersey Human Services, was in attendance. The ribbon cutting took place at CFBNJ’s South Jersey location at 6735 Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township and was followed by tours of the SNAP van and CFBNJ’s on-site Community Assistance Pantry.
With the new vehicle, which was funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through New Jersey Human Services, Division of Family Development, CFBNJ will work to expand access to SNAP awareness, education, and application assistance throughout Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland Counties, particularly in rural areas, where there are limited access points to the online application and the internet. The van will visit underserved communities to provide pop-up SNAP assistance.
Atlantic, Cape May, and Cumberland Counties have some of the highest rates of food insecurity in the state, at 11.2%, 9.9%, and 10.4%, respectively. In total, more than 56,000 people in those counties are food insecure.
SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, provides food assistance to low-income households to help them buy groceries with an EBT card that is accepted in most food retail stores and some farmers markets.
“SNAP is our nation’s first line of defense against food insecurity, and our goal at CFBNJ is to ensure that all eligible New Jersey families receive the benefits they need,” said Elizabeth McCarthy, President & CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. “We greatly appreciate our partnership with New Jersey Human Services, and we’re excited that this new mobile vehicle will help us reach more neighbors in rural areas.”
According to the Food Research and Action Council’s “Rural Hunger in America: Get the Facts,” working families, veterans, people with disabilities, seniors, and children in rural communities cannot always afford and access enough food for an active, healthy life. SNAP has positive impacts for less densely populated areas by improving food security, health, and well-being of residents and stimulating rural economies.
“The Community FoodBank of New Jersey is an outstanding community leader and partner to NJ Human Services, and we are excited to see this funding used for a new SNAP outreach van that will make food assistance more accessible to people throughout Southern New Jersey. This SNAP outreach van will help us reach and provide application assistance to more eligible families by meeting people where they are, which is particularly impactful in rural areas and communities with limited public transportation,” Commissioner Adelman said. “Governor Murphy’s Administration is intently focused on food and nutrition security for all residents, including by ensuring that everyone eligible for SNAP can sign up and will receive at least $95 in monthly assistance to help with the cost of groceries. We know access to healthy and nutritious foods means a healthier New Jersey. This van will help us achieve that goal.”
For more information about SNAP, visit NJSNAP.gov.
Click here to download photos of the event.
