Editor’s note: As the federal shutdown continues, the Trump administration, responding to court orders, says it will restart SNAP food benefits — but only at half of normal levels.
From RWJBarnabas:
RWJBarnabas Health Announces $1M to Help Feed NJans,
Bridge Gap in Lapsed SNAP Funding
Health system provides support to 14 NJ food assistance organizations,
reaffirms longstanding commitment to vulnerable communities
West Orange, N.J., Nov. 4, 2025 – As the nation faces disruptions to federal food assistance benefits, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), RWJBarnabas Health today reaffirmed its ongoing commitment to combatting food insecurity in New Jersey by providing $1 million to support 14 local feeding organizations serving vulnerable communities across the state.
For the health system, this is not simply a reaction to a moment of crisis, but a continuation of nearly two decades of intentional investment and partnership to ensure that residents have reliable access to nutritious food – today and for the long term.
“As both an anchor institution and a partner in our communities, we recognize that food and health are inseparable,” Mark E. Manigan, president and chief executive officer, RWJBarnabas Health.
“For years, we have proudly partnered with the State and invested in programs that ensure individuals and families have access to healthy food. We are doubling down on that commitment at a time of increased pressures on households when food assistance is at risk. Our contribution is a bridge to help support families and local feeding organizations meet immediate needs while we continue investing in and building out the infrastructure to support them over the long term.”
Over 800,000 New Jerseyans and nearly half a million households rely on SNAP benefits, according to state statistics, with approximately half being children and one-third being people with disabilities.
Food assistance programs like SNAP and other federal supports play a critical role in the health and well-being of low-income families. When these benefits are delayed or paused, households that rely on them may face immediate hardship.
“No one deserves to go hungry, and it is unthinkable that those in charge of our federal government are allowing vital lifelines like SNAP to be disrupted,” said Acting New Jersey Health Commissioner Jeff Brown.
“By stepping up with donations big and small, RWJBarnabas Health and people across the state are showing New Jersey’s true colors. When our neighbors need help, we pitch in.”
RWJBarnabas Health is committing $1 million to support the following community-based organizations:
- Center for Food Action – Bergen County
- CUMAC – Passaic County
- Elijah’s Promise – Middlesex County
- Eva’s Village – Passaic County
- Food Bank Network of Somerset County – Somerset County
- Franklin Food Bank – Somerset/Middlesex County
- Interfaith – Morris County
- Lunchbreak – Monmouth/Ocean County
- MEND – Essex County
- Saint Peter’s University Campus Kitchen – Hudson County
- St. Brigid’s Food Pantry/Soup Kitchen – Monmouth County
- St. Joseph’s Service Center – Union County
- Toni’s Kitchen – Essex County
- Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (T.A.S.K.) – Mercer County
The funding is being provided through an NJShelter and Health Access Grant RWJBarnabas Health received from the State to support programs and community partnerships that increase access to food, housing, street medicine and temperature related relief for the purpose of increasing access to high quality health care and improving outcomes for unhoused individuals.
“RWJBarnabas Health continues to be a strategic partner to food security efforts throughout the state,” said New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate Executive Director Mark Dinglasan.
“This support affirms that, especially in times of crisis, the partnerships that we continue to build in New Jersey can drive strategies and efforts that deliver responsive aid to individuals and families where it is most needed. I commend RWJBarnabas Health and its leadership for this much-needed support.”
RWJBarnabas Health’s longstanding commitment to combatting food insecurity and improving food access for New Jerseyans continues to evolve – from the launch of the KidsFit nutrition education programming in 2007 through the opening of The Beth Greenhouse at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in 2016 to the anticipated opening of Harvest: Farm to Community Center in Newark in early 2026. This long-term momentum has created compounding impact across the communities it serves. The health system’s food insecurity approach operates across three interconnected levels:
- Individual clinical intervention: Through the health system’s “food farmacies” – located in Middlesex, Hudson and Essex counties – registered dietitians provide one-on-one counseling and medically-tailored food access for vulnerable patients and families, addressing immediate food insecurity and improving chronic disease management.
- Community-level infrastructure: Initiatives such as Harvest, teaching kitchens, greenhouses and farmers markets strengthen the local food ecosystem by connecting New Jersey farmers directly with institutional buyers, food entrepreneurs and community distribution networks – keeping locally grown food in New Jersey to feed local communities.
- System policy and education: Through SNAP navigation, school-based nutrition education (reaching more than 100 schools statewide) and workforce development partnerships, RWJBarnabas Health is creating access to benefits and knowledge that empower individuals and families across the lifecycle.
Since launching its first food insecurity initiatives in 2016, RWJBarnabas Health has demonstrated measurable, sustained impact across New Jersey communities. To date, the health system’s food farmacies have served nearly 89,000 individuals and more than 28,000 households, including donating 739,000 diapers to families in need. Additionally, the health system has donated over 1.2 million pounds of food, while helping more than 2,000 individuals and households apply for or recertify their SNAP benefits.
The opening of Harvest: an RWJBarnabas Health Farm to Community Center in early 2026 will further amplify the health system’s efforts. This innovative hub in Newark will serve as a center to receive and store fresh, healthy food from New Jersey farmers to be distributed to local food pantries, schools and meal providers. It will also offer a commercial kitchen for food entrepreneurs and a demo kitchen and consultation space for registered dietitians, SNAP Navigators and Community Health Workers to meet with residents and connect them with wellness resources.
RWJBarnabas Health’s food insecurity initiatives are part of the health system’s larger efforts to create healthier communities across New Jersey by addressing the state’s most pressing social determinants of health.
ABOUT RWJBARNABAS HEALTH
RWJBarnabas Health is New Jersey’s largest and most comprehensive academic health system, caring for more than five million people annually. Nationally renowned for quality and safety, the system includes 14 hospitals and 9,000 affiliated physicians providing care at more than 700 patient care locations.
RWJBarnabas Health partners with its communities to build and sustain a healthier New Jersey. It provides patient-centered care in a compassionate manner and is the state’s largest safety-net provider and leader in addressing the social determinants of health. RWJBarnabas Health provides food to the hungry, housing for the homeless and economic opportunities to those most vulnerable.
RWJBarnabas Health’s commitment to enhancing access to care includes a transformative partnership with Rutgers University, including the Rutgers Cancer Institute — the state’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
RWJBarnabas Health is among New Jersey’s largest private employers, with more than 45,000 employees, contributing more than $7 billion to the state economy every year.
If you’ve read this far… you clearly value your local news. Now we need your help to keep producing the local coverage you depend on! More people are reading Morristown Green than ever. But costs keep rising. Reporting the news takes time, money and hard work. We do it because we, like you, believe an informed citizenry is vital to a healthy community.
So please, CONTRIBUTE to MG, ADVERTISE on Morristown Green. LIKE us on Facebook, FOLLOW us on Twitter, and SIGN UP for our newsletter.
