The Food Brigade is pleased to announce that we have been chosen to receive funding from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority under its $30 million "FEED NJ" grant initiative. The grant will facilitate our organization's North Jersey Food Justice Project (NJFJP). Through the NJFJP, we will be able to increase access to fresh produce and nutritious food, and expand the provision of free food to residents in need, within 11 of the state's 50 designated Food Desert Communities. Simultaneously, the Project will provide technical assistance to help residents access nutrition benefits such as SNAP.

The main activity of the NJFJP will be the distribution of fresh produce from our new Mobile Farmer’s Market, which will deploy from partner sites within each of the Food Desert Communities. The other arm of the NJFJP is the rescue of food about to be discarded by local supermarkets, wholesalers, and “big box” retailers, accomplished through our new refrigerated box truck, the "RescueMobile". The Food Brigade thanks the New Jersey EDA for making possible these acquisitions, along with the employment of the necessary staff, and for entrusting our organization with the implementation of this groundbreaking effort.

The Food Desert Communities to be served under The Food Brigade's North Jersey Food Justice Project are as follows:

BERGEN COUNTY:
• Fairview Borough

PASSAIC COUNTY:
• Passaic City
• Paterson North
• Paterson South
• Prospect Park/Haledon/Hawthorne

HUDSON COUNTY:
• Bayonne City
• Jersey City Central
• Jersey City North
• Jersey City South
• North Bergen/West New York/Guttenberg
• Union City

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THE PRESS RELEASE BY THE NEW JERSEY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY