41 Million Meals Served: Union Co. Marks Community Food Distribution Milestone

UNION COUNTY, NJ — More than 14,000 people attended Union County's latest food distribution outreach event, which was the 100th such giveaway since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Board of County Commissioners noted that hundreds of thousands of people in the county have benefited from these distributions, as county workers and local volunteers teamed up with businesses and community organizations to help keep food on families' tables.

The most recent giveaway was Sunday on the campus of Kean University, where county officials said more than 14,148 residents came to get boxes of fresh food.

"Since the program's inception, Union County's emergency food distributions have supplied more than 350,000 residents with over 41 million meals, addressing the heightened need since the start of the pandemic and totaling nearly 40 million pounds of distributed food," officials said.

The county also thanked Village Super Market and Gargiulo Produce for their partnership over the past three years in these distribution events.

Commissioner Chairman Sergio Granados said these distributions played a pivotal role in making sure no one went hungry through the pandemic and its aftermath.

“These events brought together county staff, volunteers, local businesses, community organizations, who were all working in harmony with our Commissioner Board to provide support where it was needed the most," he said. "It is heartening to witness the impact we can make when we come together to support one another during challenging times.”

County Manager Ed Oatman also said that American Rescue Plan Act funds were "a lifeline" for the food distribution events, "allowing us to not only meet the immediate needs of our residents but also to do so with enhanced efficiency and compassion."

The county also provided the following resources for residents experiencing food insecurity:

• For more information about the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, or to find other food distribution locations, please visithttps://cfbnj.org/findfood or text FINDFOOD to 908-224-7776.
• For additional resources and guidance from the Union County Department of Human Services, visit www.ucnj.org/dhs or call the DHS Action Line at 888-845-3434 or 908-558-2288.