Official Site of The State of New Jersey

June 26, 2025 | Trenton Health Team Launches NJ Statewide Food Security Index
^{By: Trenton Daily}

June 18, 2025 | New Jersey Distributes Summer EBT Benefits to More Than 693,000 Eligible Children
^{By: NJ Department of Agriculture}

June 13, 2025 | RWJBarnabas Newark food & health hub targets health outcomes (photos)
^{By: NJBIZ}

May 12, 2025 | Table to Table focused on community care at Partners in Good Health Conference
^{By: ROI-NJ}

May 6, 2025 | Savor Newark 2025 to Spotlight Culinary Innovation, Culture, and Community During Newark Small Business Week
^{By: EIN Presswire}

April 22, 2025 | Campus Hunger Forum Amplifies Student Voices, Seeks Solutions
^{By: South Jersey Local News}

April 11, 2025 | RISE Food Security Initiative 'Harvest Helpers' to Increase Access to Fruits & Veggies for Mercer County Residents
^{By: TAPinto}

March 11, 2025 | Governor Murphy and Speaker Craig Coughlin Condemn U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cancellation of $26 Million in Funding for Local Food for Schools and Food Banks Across New Jersey
^{By: Govenor Phil Murphy's Office}

March 4, 2025 | NJEDA Board Approves $30 Million Program To Strengthen Food Security And Access In NJ Food Desert Communities
^{By: Trenton Daily}

February 28, 2025 | Food Insecurity Index To Expand Statewide
^{By: Trenton Health Team}

February 26, 2025 | Jersey Fresh Food Security: Bridging the Gap Between NJ Farms and Families in Need
^{By: Morning AgClips}

February 25, 2025 | Department of Agriculture Seeks Agencies to Sponsor Meals for Summer Nutrition Program
^{By: Morning AgClips}

January 27, 2025 | See where unhealthy food options lead to higher infant mortality
^{By: NJ Spotlight News}

January 23, 2025 | NJ Department of Health Releases Hunger, Food Security, and Maternal Health Interactive Report
^{By: New Jersey Department of Health}

January 16, 2025 | NJEDA Board Approves $30 Million Program to Strengthen Food Security and Access in NJ Food Desert Communities
^{By: NJ Economic Development Authority}

December 18, 2024 | Food for thought: Hunger among college students inspires state funding
^{By: South Jersey Local News}

December 4, 2024 | Cutting food waste could help feed the hungry, new report says
^{By: NJ Spotlight News}

December 1, 2024 | Fighting Against Food Insecurity in New Jersey
^{By: AARP}

November 20, 2024 | RCSJ Combats Food Insecurities on Campus
^{By: RCSJ News}

November 18, 2024 | Fighting hunger at school: N.J. lawmakers working on plans to expand free school meals for all students
^{By: WHYY}

November 17, 2024 | Tri-County Food Insecurity Index Launch: Enhancing Food Security Insights Across New Jersey
^{By: Trenton Journal}

November 14, 2024 | MEND Expands Fresh Food Hub to Increase Hunger Relief Efforts
^{By: The Village Green}

November 9, 2024 | New Jersey Awards Hunger-Free Campus Act Grants
^{By: TAPinto}

November 7, 2024 | New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education Awards Hunger-Free Campus Act Grants
^{By: New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education}

October 16, 2024 | The Change Project: Next steps in NJ efforts to curb food insecurity and hunger
^{By:NJ Spotlight News}

October 5, 2024 | Governor Phil Murphy and State Officials Tour Toni’s Kitchen
^{By: Montclair Local}

September 27, 2024 | Hunger Free New Jersey Honored for Hunger Action Month in New Jersey Assembly
^{By: Hunger Free New Jersey}

September 22, 2024 | Your mother isn’t the only one who doesn’t want you to throw away food
^{By: NJ.com}

June 16, 2024 | NJ Department of Agriculture Distributes Summer EBT Benefits to 500K + Children
^{By:Cape May County Herald via NJDA}

May 13, 2024 | NJ families in school food assistance programs can qualify for $120 EBT cards this summer
^{By: KYW Newsradio}

April 9, 2024 | The Change Talks: Hunger and food insecurity
^{By:NJ Spotlight News}

April 8, 2024 | Op-Ed: NJ must strengthen food aid system
^{By:NJ Spotlight News}

March 27, 2024 | Facing increased demand, can NJ’s complex system of food aid keep up?
^{By:NJ Spotlight News}

March 6, 2024 | NJFSI Awards Grant to Office of the Food Security Advocate
^{By:New Jersey Food Security Initiative}

March 1, 2024 | New Jersey Department of Agriculture Announces $120 Summer EBT Benefit for 2024
^{By:New Jersey Department of Agriculture}

February 15, 2024 | OFSA Fireside Chat, Episode 2: Centering Communities in Data Efforts to Inform County Food Security Work
^{By:Office of the Food Security Advocate}

January 17, 2024 | Guest Op-Ed: Battling Food Insecurity With The Right Tools – How Trenton Health Team Is Doing Its Part
^{By:The Trentonian}

January 16, 2024 | Governor Murphy Signs Legislation Expanding Access to School Meals for New Jersey Students
^{By:State of New Jersey}

January 11, 2024 | Supermarkets aren’t the only answer to food insecurity in Camden
^{By:The Philadelphia Inquirer}

Jan 10, 2024 | OFSA Fireside Chat, Episode 1: Workforce Development with TASK & Loving Our Cities
^{By:Office of the Food Security Advocate}

Legislative Reviews Developed by OFSA -- OFSA Summarizes Federal Proposed Actions that Could Impact Everyday Food Security in New Policy Brief Series 

Amid the current pace of potential policy change and in response to communities expressing a need for more resources to help them keep track of proposed actions that can influence their day-to-day work and neighbors’ day-to-day needs, the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA) is introducing food security-focused policy briefs on a regular basis. The briefs, primarily compiled and analyzed by OFSA Policy Manager Dr. Dan Dychtwald, will provide a legislative review for those who are following proposed changes and other actions with the potential to impact food and nutrition programs and policies directly, or to indirectly impact everyday food security for individuals and families. OFSA openly acknowledges the sources presented in the briefs are not an exhaustive list or a full representation of perspectives on the topic. It is vital to consider these compilations not in a vacuum, but together with your existing practices and preferences for following news and legislative updates.  
 
The inaugural issue, released on March 10, 2025, is available below. Future issues will be added to this post. Please allow a few days’ time for updates to appear. If you would like to add your contact information to the distribution list to receive these briefs in your inbox, click here. 
 
Thank you for continuing to show up for your teams and your neighbors, every day. 
 
Issues by Date:  

• Issue #4 – for the Week Ending June 13, 2025
• Issue #3 – for the Week Ending April 4, 2025
• Issue #2 – for the Week Ending March 21, 2025
• Issue #1 – for the Week Ending March 7, 2025

March 24, 2025

Hello Food Security Friends and Colleagues,  
 
Please know The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) has not changed in New Jersey aside from an increase in the cost of food. I am aware some might have seen a news report last week stating the USDA has stopped millions of dollars’ worth of deliveries through TEFAP to food banks in other states. I want to reassure you that New Jersey’s thousands of farms, plus fisheries, producers and aggregators growing and harvesting food, together with the state-level administration of TEFAP, mean there is an abundance of nourishing food here.  
 
In New Jersey, six state-designated food banks currently support hundreds, if not thousands, of community-based pantries and other food banks by directly receiving and redistributing purchased government commodities through TEFAP, with administrative support from our colleagues at the New Jersey Department of Agriculture Division of Food and Nutrition. They are Community Food Bank of NJ, Food Bank of South Jersey, Fulfill, Mercer Street Friends, Norwescap and Southern Regional Food Distribution Center. Together, their warehouse teams coordinate logistics in compliance with food handling safety guidelines to get these commodity foods to other agencies, whether by delivery or by offering direct pickup to those agencies who have available vehicles.

From there, organizations open their doors to welcome neighbors to shop for themselves and their families. Larger receiving agencies and other food banks with the space and equipment to further customize food orders for their hyperlocal community partners who are state-approved to distribute TEFAP foods directly to neighbors, do so.  

Food security work is intentionally broader in the 21st Century because the challenges that existing systems and practices place on people, interconnect. Still, the reality is the day-to-day work of food banks and food pantries is very much needed in every community and each of our 21 counties. 
 
We are in a time where changes are happening very quickly. For weeks, I have been in regular communication with the Governor’s office, our partners in the legislature, New Jersey Department of Agriculture Secretary Wengryn, other partners at the federal level, and both Senator Booker’s and Senator Kim’s offices to anticipate whether this stoppage is likely to affect New Jersey, and convey what such an act would mean for locally led emergency food providers that neighbors across the state look to and trust. TEFAP foods nourish our communities by helping New Jerseyans stretch their household food budgets farther everyday. As of this writing, there has not been any indication or confirmation New Jersey is slated for a similar or other stop in TEFAP order fulfillment. 

I remain committed to working alongside all of these partners, united in message and in belief, that a pause or reduction in TEFAP food deliveries to our state will be a significant step backwards for community health and for New Jerseyans working to stabilize their lives. 
 
Your Food Security Advocate,  
Mark Dinglasan
 
Reach out with questions or updates: OFSA@ag.nj.gov.  
Follow OFSA's Facebook and LinkedIn pages for real-time updates. 

February 12, 2025

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

I wanted to share with everyone that OFSA is aware of the statement released today by the USDA regarding SNAP. I remain steadfast in my commitment to partner with Governor Murphy and all our state agencies and our partners in the legislature as we monitor any actions at the federal level.

Please continue to refer to the following documents from our Department of Education and from our Office of New Americans for guidance.

Your Food Security Advocate,
Mark Dinglasan

These resources can help community-based organizations, including food pantries, and community kitchens, and the neighbors they serve prepare as best they can.
- Guidance materials for School-Related State and Federal Requirements Pertaining to Immigrant Students and Families from the NJ Department of Education
- Know Your Rights documents for individuals and organizations from the Office of New Americans

Reach out with questions or updates: OFSA@ag.nj.gov. Follow OFSA's Facebook and LinkedIn pages for real-time updates.

January 28, 2025 

 
Thank you, everyone, for your continued partnership and enthusiasm for the food security efforts in New Jersey. Our coordinated efforts and partnership are definitely needed as we collectively support New Jersey’s communities and the trusted organizations that communities and families look to in their time of need. I would like to share these updates with you:  
 
Coordinated response among New Jersey State Departments 
The Governor's office is ensuring that our state departments have a coordinated response and are sharing resources and strategies. We are tracking everything from executive orders to changes in things like the public charge rule to funding. Commissioner Adelman and her teams at the New Jersey Department of Human Services, specifically the Office of New Americans, will be leading the coordination.  
 
OFSA's role will be using our networks and platforms to share out the most pertinent and updated information available that we are developing here at the state. To date, here are the most updated resources we have:  

• School-Related State and Federal Requirements Pertaining to Immigrant Students and Families guidance from the NJ Department of Education, and  
   

• the Know Your Rights documents for individuals and organizations from the Office of New Americans  

Please share these helpful materials with your networks and your teams. Please continue to check the OFSA LinkedIn and Facebook pages, our website, or reach out if you have any questions.  
 

Updates regarding the 1/27/2025 directive from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 

We are also tracking the directive from OMB yesterday evening regarding the pauses on federal funding. I have met with Secretary Wengryn from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, and his chief of staff as OFSA will join the department's coordinated response.  

OFSA will share out information as soon as we get it 

Please watch for alerts from my team and also our posts on social media. Please forward any information OFSA shares to your networks and colleagues. I will ensure that the needs of the communities you serve are top of mind as we go through this process and will share out information when I am able.  
 
Be well everyone.  

Reach out with questions or updates: OFSA@ag.nj.gov 
 
Mark Dinglasan 
Executive Director 
New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA) 

January 27, 2025

OFSA is sharing resources to help community organizations navigate federal policy changes affecting food security work. This alert highlights NJDOE’s recent guidance on supporting immigrant students and families, covering school safety protocols, legal requirements, trauma-informed care, and family preparedness planning. OFSA remains committed to working with state agencies and community partners to safeguard New Jerseyans’ well-being. Organizations can reach out to OFSA leadership to share challenges, strategies, and questions as they adapt to policy shifts. Read more and share with your networks.

View the Alert Here.

December 2024

As we close out 2024, we’re proud to look back at the incredible milestones we achieved together with our community and partners. This year has been a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation in the work to make food security a reality for every New Jerseyan. Here are six key achievements that highlight the collective impact of our efforts this year and illuminate our path forward in the new year:

1. Hosted the Inaugural Garden State Conference on Food Security: Setting a Table for All, for Always

On October 4, we convened nearly 500 participants in person and online for the inaugural Garden State Conference on Food Security: Setting a Table for All, for Always. This first-of-its-kind event brought together local community advocates, policy trailblazers, farmers, and researchers to discuss solutions to hunger in New Jersey and beyond. Keynote speakers included Speaker Craig J. Coughlin, national experts Katie S. Martin, PhD, Principal of More than Food Consulting, LLC, and the author of Reinventing Food Banks and Pantries: New Tools to End Hunger, and Eric Calloway, PhD, RD, Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Nutrition & Health Impact, and Executive Director of the NJ Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA), Mark Dinglasan, who unveiled New Jersey’s Action Plan and shared insights on advancing food security through collaborative approaches.

Participants held meaningful cross-sector conversations and built connections that will drive change in the coming years. The impact of this event was profound, laying the groundwork for future coordinated efforts to address the root causes of food insecurity.

-> Access highlights and session recordings here.

2. Introduced a Tool for the Field - the First Iteration of The State of Food Security in New Jersey: A Data Chart Book

This summer, we unveiled “The State of Food Security in New Jersey: A Data Chartbook”, a comprehensive resource offering a nuanced understanding of food security metrics. Organized into three categories—social determinants, measures, and impacts of food security—the chartbook provides county-level data, trend analyses, and demographic breakdowns.

This vital tool has equipped policymakers, community-based organizations, researchers, and advocates with the insights needed to craft evidence-based strategies. By spotlighting disparities and trends, the chartbook has become a cornerstone for informed decision-making.

-> Dive into the data by exploring the chartbook here.

3. Launched the Tri-County Food Insecurity Index in Partnership with the Trenton Health Team

In October, with support and funding from OFSA, the Trenton Health Team launched the Tri-County Food Insecurity Index, offering a detailed look at food security in Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset counties. This interactive tool is an expansion of the initial Mercer County index released in 2022 and functions as a customizable map, equipping local service providers, community leaders, and coalitions to explore real-world data and craft targeted solutions that address the specific needs of each community using a more holistic understanding of food insecurity. The index has already sparked additional collaborations, validating local knowledge and identifying actionable insights. It serves as a model for future localized approaches to promoting food security. An expanded version providing the same functionality for each of the state’s 21 counties is slated for release in 2025.

-> Experience the index and its features here.

4. Honored on the Assembly Floor for Summer EBT Outreach Efforts

In September, Hunger Free New Jersey, the NJ Association of School Business Officials, and the NJ School Nutrition Association were recognized on the Assembly floor with a Ceremonial Resolution for our collective work implementing the Summer EBT program. In its first year, Summer EBT brought in over $70 million in federal benefits to almost 600,000 eligible students across 722 participating school food authorities, ensuring children had access to nourishing food during the summer months.

Our support of outreach efforts, including promotion of a redesigned website and development of multilingual outreach toolkit, made it easier for families to access these critical benefits. The program’s success highlights the importance of clear communication and cross-sector community engagement.

-> Learn more about Summer EBT and outreach efforts you can get involved with here.

5. Secured a Competitive Grant to Support Summer EBT Efforts

In March, OFSA secured a grant from the New Jersey Food Security Initiative to expand Summer EBT outreach. This funding supported the development of accessible materials and outreach campaigns that reached thousands of families across the state.

The grant allowed the state to scale this multi-agency effort, ensuring that more children had access to nutritious meals when schools were closed. It exemplifies the impact of investing in targeted, data-driven programs.

-> Read about our grant and how it’s driving change here.

6. Featured in the "Feeding Hope in New Jersey" Documentary Series

During Hunger Action Month, the New Jersey Assembly Democrats’ documentary series, “Feeding Hope,” spotlighted New Jersey’s progress in promoting food security. The series showcased initiatives like the establishment of OFSA, innovative responses to “food deserts,” and the role of schools in addressing student food insecurity.

Through compelling stories and actionable insights, the series underscored the power of public-private partnerships in creating a food secure future. It has inspired viewers to join efforts to address food insecurity.

-> Watch the full series and share it with your network here.

Looking Ahead

2024 was a year of progress, partnerships, and promise. As we look forward to 2025, we’re excited to continue this journey with you. Together, we can build a future where everyone has equitable access to nourishing food.

Get Involved: Stay connected with us and support our initiatives by following us on social media @NJOFSA www.linkedin.com/company/njofsa | https://www.facebook.com/NJOFSA

September, 2024

September is Hunger Action Month. The New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA) informs community action by conducting and sharing data and research, including community learnings.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released new data last week, the Household Food Security in the United States report for 2023. Under the USDA definition of food insecurity, households that experience food insecurity have difficulty, at some time during the year, providing enough food for all their members because of a lack of money or other resources (economic access metric). Food insecurity and hunger are not equivalent. Hunger is an individual-level physiological condition that may result from food insecurity.

Key Takeaways for New Jersey:

• Although New Jersey has a lower rate of food insecurity than the U.S. overall, food insecurity is unacceptably high. Throughout the state, one in every 10 households (9.8%) experienced food insecurity on average from 2021-2023 in New Jersey.
• Over 347,000 New Jersey households experienced food insecurity each year from 2021-2023 on average.
• The rate of food insecurity is increasing in New Jersey. Food insecurity increased from 8.4% of households in 2018-2020 to 9.8% in 2021-2023,an increase of 16.7%.¹

^{1 _{This increase does not meet the requirements for statistical significance with a 90-percent confidence interval.}}

This USDA annual measure provides valuable information at the national- and state-level on households’ food security status related to their economic access to food. However, this data only tells part of New Jersey’s food security story as there are many ways to define and measure food security. OFSA has adopted a definition and approach to food security work that takes into account six dimensions of food security: availability, access, utilization, stability, agency, and sustainability. 

“Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”

Food insecurity may result from limitations in any of the six dimensions because each depends on and interacts with the others. 

Leverage OFSA Resources to Inform Your Action:

1. Learn more about the six dimensions of food security and explore existing New Jersey work across each dimension in OFSA’s Food Security in New Jersey: A Primer on the Six Dimensions of Food Security. 
2. Explore additional food security measures in OFSA’s Food Security-Related Public Data Catalog
3. Catch up on the energy and inspiration of the inaugural Garden State Conference on Food Security: Setting a Table for All, for Always! Browse highlights from the day, presenters’ slides, the recording and more on the OFSA Conference web page.

OFSA continues to utilize data coupled with the lived experiences of all New Jerseyans to support systems and policies to bolster each dimension of food security. OFSA is bringing together the best of the non-profit, academic, governmental, and corporate worlds, and will continue to promote innovation, best practices, and collaboration across the state of New Jersey to advance our collective work to make comprehensive food security a reality. Watch OFSA’s resource library page for upcoming county-by-county analysis of public data sources related to food security in our new data chart book!

June 2024

Some photos from the conference:

This year is a significant one in terms of efforts to ensure food security for everyone in New Jersey and the nation. This year marks:

• the 50^th anniversary of the federal WIC Program, which currently provides nutritious foods to nearly half of all infants born in the United States along with nutrition education (including nursing promotion and support) and referrals to health and other social services, and
  
  
• the launch of Summer EBT (also referred to as SUN Bucks outside of NJ), a new and permanent nutrition program intended to reduce food insecurity for children during the summer break. New Jersey is one of 37 states, along with the District of Columbia, all five U.S. territories and two Tribes that have committed to bringing Summer EBT benefits to children to help replace the school meals that families count on during the school year. New Jersey will send families $120 per eligible child on an Electronic Benefit Transfer card to buy healthier foods like fruits, vegetables, meats and other protein sources, whole grains, and dairy at authorized stores and farmers’ markets. Although summer is in full swing, New Jersey parents and guardians can and should, still contact their child’s school to complete or update the safe and secure school meal application form to determine if their child is eligible. Get details on NJ Summer EBT.
  
  According to the Food Research & Action Center, Summer EBT will bridge the gap and help stabilize summertime household food budgets for nearly 21.3 million children nationwide, including more than 500,000 of New Jersey’s children.

With this in mind, three members of the NJ Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA) team traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the 2024 National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference. Now back and unpacked, Rosemarie Loughlin, OFSA Program Coordinator, Dr. Jenny Schrum, OFSA Research and Evaluation Strategy Manager, and Jemmell’z Washington-Rock, OFSA Program Manager have compiled their list of top moments from the convening.

Top 5 moments from the 2024 National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference:

• Celebrating NJ’s Summer EBT efforts by participating in a panel, “Unlocking the Full Potential of Summer EBT: Supporting Implementation and Expanding Access.”  We learned that other states implementing the program face similar challenges on outreach and enrollment. Many states use approachable and culturally diverse outreach strategies to connect with eligible children and families. Panelists:
  
  Jessica Deitrich (she/her/hers) – Hunger Free Oklahoma
  Itzúl Gutiérrez – California Association of Food Banks
  Matt Stienstra (he/him/his) – Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin
  Jenny Schrum, PhD, MSW, MPH (she/her/hers) – NJ Office of the Food Security Advocate
  Kelsey Boone, MPP (she/her/hers) – Food Research & Action Center
  
  
• Learning that current concepts of medically tailored meal emerged from 1980s-era food security efforts that focused on providing nutrition to individuals living with HIV. Will Thomas of Conduit Government Relations shared that history moment with a full room during the LGBTQIA2S+ Food Insecurity, Outreach, and Advocacy panel conversation that also featured:
  

  Houa Xiong, Gay, Asian, Lived/Living Experience, Advocacy, Non-Profit (he/him/his) – Hunger Free Oklahoma
  Lisa M. O'Brien (she/her/hers) – MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, and
  Fleurian Filkins (they/them/theirs) – Feeding America National Organization

• The presentation that offered an understanding of Kosher and Halal Food Equity within USDA Programs dietary requirements with education on the communities they support, training schools on how to meet student’s religious dietary and expanding outreach and technical assistance for kosher and halal meat processors, and the need of equity at USDA. Panelists:
  

  Dickran Jebejian – USDA Center for Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, New York
  Ammar Ahmed – USDA
  Ben Marcus – USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, Virginia
  Alex Cordova – USDA

• The Feeding Hope: Creating Protective Factors to Support Food Security and Mental Health session that underscored how the signs and symptoms of food insecurity or “Food and Mood” are often a natural and necessary adaptive response to stress and trauma. Signs can include trouble concentrating, hyperactivity, trouble socially and academic decline. Often a side effect of hunger can cause a boost of cortisol which is the body’s natural fight or flight response.  The fight or flight response in a child can result in hyperactivity and a child experiencing hunger may have negative behavior in school. Hunger can cause issues with mental health and wellness on multiple levels. Session panelists:

  Madeline Mortisch, MS, RDN – Alliance for a Healthier Generation
  Malissa G. Martin, BA, Same Houston State University, Executive Education, Kellogg School of Business, Northwestern University, New York University, SparkWheel
  Brittny L. Leowtewa, Zuni Youth Enrichment Project

• Meeting colleagues engaged in housing services and connecting the intersection of housing and food security. The two social issues can have a significant impact on the other, so it is important to bridge that gap at conferences regarding policy change. This included a lunch panel with housing content. The speakers for this plenary session: 
  
  Christine Going, EdD, MPA, RD, FACHE, Senior Advisor, Food Security Office at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  Dr. Ruth Jones Nichols, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
  USDA Deputy Under Secretary Stacy Dean

Rose, Dr. Jenny and Jemmell’z also recorded a series of interviews and conversations across the three-day event. Watch the videos here.

Plus: New Logo Celebrates the Power and Resilience of Communities, and the Spirit of Multi-Sector Collaboration in New Jersey

May 2024

The NJ Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA) is rooted in the ways we value community, and the visionary charge and mission of our office. Our new logo and website, www.nj.gov/foodsecurity, reflect the intentionality with which we approach our work.

About the OFSA website: The website was developed with residents and neighbors, including youth, students, working families, and older adults, plus communities, researchers, grant makers and decision-makers all in mind. It serves as a convenient place to: 

• Browse food security-related public data sources and funding opportunities, 
• Follow original research coming from OFSA and its partners and leverage findings to inform local efforts and make the case for support, 
• Reference the definition of food security and framework OFSA has adopted as a rallying point for our state, 
• Navigate available emergency resources for New Jerseyans to get help with food for themselves or their families.

About OFSA’s new logo: The concentric circles represent the energy and necessity of partnership and inclusion, the ongoing nature of collaboration and the broader, more comprehensive dimensions of food security that OFSA and a growing number of community organizations and coalitions across the state, the nation and in the international community are embracing.

Like the six dimensions of food security, the colors emphasize that everyone has a part and a place in the food security conversation, even if they don’t understand their role yet. Together, we have:  

• A warm brown, to honor the resourcefulness and resiliency of every New Jerseyan and uphold everyone’s dignity and agency. People are so much more than their past or present predicaments. 
• Green, to celebrate NJ’s farmers, growers and food producers, and remember the sustainability of our food is intertwined with the environment. 
• The official shades of blue associated with State of NJ government entities as a throughline to our peer agencies, departments and offices, and a callback to OFSA’s placement in the highest level of state government, the Governor’s Office. 
• Yellow, for the optimism and opportunities to build and redesign systems and policies alongside residents so our current and future generations have what they need to thrive each day.  

The silhouette of our great state is at the center of the circles, with the name of our office emerging from it. This speaks to our relentless pursuit of opportunities for informed innovation, such as reimagining what farm (and fishing net) to fork looks like in New Jersey, and bridging conversations across the food system, across industries and across state and local agencies so every resident personally feels, understands and determines their connection to our beloved nickname, the Garden State.

Together, the circles are opening a path to an equitable future where food security is a reality for every individual, every family, every household, every community, municipality, borough, township, county, state and nation, regardless of their income level, zip code, age, ethnicity, abilities, educational background or employment status.

This equitable future is also where… 

…There is no stigma around accessing support for basic needs, such as transportation or utilities assistance, and 

…Communities have greater capacity to build resiliency, reclaim their agency in advocating for themselves and their neighborhoods, promote positive childhood experiences and ultimately, heal themselves. 

December 2023

Having demonstrated a commitment to going above and “beyond food,” like-minded pantry leaders whose teams also help neighbors access clothing programs, legal services and job training programs, and whose facilities also double as ESL classrooms and health screening sites, met in Trenton in December 2023 to launch a series of interactive peer learning days with the More Than Food: NJ Community Food Hub Capacity Project. 

Thirteen community-based, anti-hunger organizations that have agreed to participate in this project, some of the state-designated food banks, and the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA) team explored an initial analysis of existing opportunities within NJ’s food pantry and food bank landscape conducted by More Than Food Consulting (MTFC). Recognized as national experts on charitable food and emergency feeding approaches, the MTFC team of principal Katie S. Martin, Ph.D. and Malarie McGalliard will provide individualized technical assistance to each pantry to build their capacity for enhancing their operations in three particular areas: a welcoming culture, healthy choice and community connections – all with neighbors’ input guiding their work. By the end of this project, the state will have established a baseline that can move this collective work forward so every current and future New Jerseyan is food secure everyday, regardless of their income, age, educational attainment or neighborhood.

November 2023

It’s affirming to know that student success officers, campus pantry directors, Deans, Provosts and colleagues at community colleges, four-year universities and technical programs are having conversations that parallel those that best-in-class anti-hunger organizations are having about food security work and basic needs supports. Jemmell’z Washington-Rock, OFSA Program Manager, participated in the Basic Needs in Higher Education conference that focused on older students, parenting learners, low-income students, Pell grant recipients and others, with a keynote by Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab, Senior Fellow at Education Northwest. 
 
The day included breakouts and share outs of innovations that campuses have piloted such as meal scholarship/voucher initiatives and messaging/faculty engagement campaigns. Also, the NJ Office of the Secretary of Higher Education facilitated conversations and sought these committed administrators’ input about the tools, funding and information they still need to help students enroll in SNAP, find safe, stable, humane housing in a crisis or even afford their textbooks and receive them in a timely manner. 

According to the Hunger Free campus report of 8600 NJ students that was presented at the convening, 44% of first-generation students self-identified as food insecure. Also, genderqueer students, those from other historically marginalized backgrounds and non-traditional students face higher levels of food insecurity. 

Ultimately, it’s going to take all of us to link scholars to the resources they’re telling us they need to change the trajectory of their lives and communities by completing their educational goals. 

Visit the OSHE website and the Basic Needs.gov site. 

October 2023

"Historically, in child welfare circles, all too often, allegations of ‘neglect’ are a coded way of saying that a family is dealing with the effects of poverty. The issue isn't that a parent is withholding some physical or emotional need from their child, but that the family has an unmet material need resulting from having little to no income.  
 
The intention of child welfare is to uplift the child, youth, and the entire family. In New Jersey, we're looking for ways to do that in a healing-centered, trauma-informed way." 

-- Excerpted from the 2023 The Intersection of Race, Poverty & Neglect in Child Welfare conference program 
 
During the 2023 Intersection of Race, Poverty & Neglect in Child Welfare conference presented by the New Jersey Taskforce on Child Abuse and Neglect and the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, OFSA and The Franklin Food Bank partnered in discussing how holistic food security work can be an entry point to serving families’ basic needs and possibly helping them avoid system involvement.  
 
Derek Smith, Executive Director of the Franklin Food Bank and Dr. Jenny Schrum, OFSA Research and Evaluation Strategy Manager, held one-on-one “connecting conversations” with social workers, family advocates and representatives from youth-serving organizations and other service providers who attended the conference. They also shared forward-thinking language regarding food security and how food pantries like the Franklin Food Bank are operationalizing their “beyond food” efforts and building multi-sector partnerships to contribute to this broader, shared work of helping communities heal themselves.  
 
View an interview here.