Official Site of The State of New Jersey

This work in approximately five words: Mobile outreach for school meals

The Cool B.E.A.N.S. project is supported by OFSA's Building Expanded Access to Nutritious School Meals (BEANS) grant program. Loving Our Cities (LOC) is expanding awareness and participation in school meal programs by connecting families with information and enrollment assistance through its established community food access programs across South Jersey.

LOC operates a regional food hub and multiple mobile pantries serving ten designated food desert communities and six Abbott School Districts including those in Gloucester county. LOC will build on the trusted relationships developed through these programs and its KIDflix Summer Meals Program, which provides meals and entertainment for children during the summer and engages hundreds of children and families each year.

By integrating school meal education and enrollment assistance into an established, trusted community setting, Cool B.E.A.N.S. will help families navigate available benefits and strengthen connections between emergency food resources and school nutrition programs. This project supports the New Jersey Food Security Strategic Plan through Strategy 3.1 Tailored Education, Outreach, and Awareness Efforts and Strategy 3.5 Multi-benefit Hubs.