Newark Food Panty Shines After Supermarket-Style Makeover

NEWARK, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of United Community Corporation. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

United Community Corporation (UCC), Newark’s designated Community Action Agency since 1964, is shifting how it tackles food insecurity by launching a new choice-based marketplace food pantry aimed at offering a more dignified experience for residents in need.

UCC, in partnership with healthcare company Wellpoint, hosted a grand opening July 1 of its “Market at UCC,” revamping its Champion House Food Pantry located at 409 South 18th Street in Newark.

The initiative moves away from traditional pre-packed and fresh food distributions at its food pantry facility. Instead, residents enter an environment designed to look and feel like a food market with a choice-based model that allows them to select fresh, nutritious items, and meals with sustenance – all at no cost.

UCC Executive Director Craig Mainor said that the redesign of the agency’s traditional food pantry service model is focused on the community's comfort and long-term well-being.

"The goal of free food access isn't just to hand out groceries but to create a place where community members feel welcome, seen, and empowered,” Mainor said. “The Market at UCC treats food access as a fundamental right and allows residents to shop for fresh, nutritious foods that fit their specific needs. We are proud to provide the community with this market in our ongoing efforts to stymie food insecurity across Newark and Essex County.”

Residents can access the market now by setting up an appointment online through Plentiful here or by texting “UCCPANTRY” to 726879. Appointments are available Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Once their appointment is scheduled, a Market at UCC client can walk into the building where they check in and then proceed to shop around the space with a grocery cart and are assisted by UCC staff and volunteers. The workers guide clients through the market to take items that meet their needs including fresh fruit and produce, staple goods such as milk, eggs, and proteins, canned and shelf-stable goods, and baked goods.

The Market at UCC is the latest expansion of the nonprofit’s wide-reaching food assistance programs to meet underserved residents where they are. In Newark, neighborhoods in each of the city’s five wards are designated as “food deserts” by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority. A food desert is defined as a region where people have limited access to healthy and affordable food.

To address this need, UCC leads various food assistance initiatives such as its Community Refrigerator program. First introduced in 2022, UCC operates seven refrigerators installed in publicly accessible locations, providing 24/7 access to both fresh and shelf-stable groceries in areas the agency targeted in most need.

The agency also uses its “UCCafe” food truck to roll directly into areas where food access is not needed but for residents facing transportation constraints.

Most recently, UCC expanded its community refrigerator program in April by launching a new refrigerator at the First Presbyterian Church on Broad Street, targeting one of Newark’s busiest corridors to help residents fighting rising inflationary pressures.

Food assistance has not only been one of UCC’s longest operating outreach services in the agency's 60-plus year history but has proven one of its most vital. In 2025, the nonprofit's collective food assistance initiatives were accessed more than 80,000 times by community members.

“We are seeing a level of need that doesn't slow down," Mainor said. "Expanding food access through both this new market and our other food assistance programs is critical because hunger doesn't wait, and the community needs relief right now.”

The transition to UCC’s choice-based model through the Market at UCC was made possible through a partnership with Wellpoint. Wellpoint representatives said the initiative was a shared focus on addressing the root social causes of poor health.

“At Wellpoint, we believe strong communities are built through meaningful partnerships,” said Wellpoint Health Promotion Consultant Margarita Valentin. “We are honored to support UCC in this initiative to combat food insecurity in Newark and beyond. Every family deserves access to healthy, nutritious food, and we are committed to working alongside our community partners to create lasting, positive change."

The Market at UCC was also made possible by the nonprofit’s partners and supporters the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Devils Youth Foundation, Community FoodBank of New Jersey, MEND, Fairgrow Farm, DK Equipment, Albertsons Companies, Inc. and Kings Food Markets, and Clinton Hill Community Action.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here.