NJBIA is supporting the New Jersey Reentry Corporation’s emergency food drive to ensure uninterrupted access to groceries and prepared meals for NJRC clients who will lose federal food-aid benefits on Nov. 1 due to the ongoing federal government shutdown.
Donations of non-perishable food, prepared meals and supermarket gift cards are being collected from participating churches, mosques temples, grocers, wholesalers, restaurants and other businesses to be distributed through NJRC reentry center across the state, and the NJRC training center in Kearny, to help those at highest risk.
Former Gov. James McGreevey, the chairman of the board at the New Jersey Reentry Corporation, said the food drive is an “urgent humanitarian effort,” as many low-income NJRC participants will soon be unable to afford food for themselves and their children.
Non-perishable food items needed include canned vegetables, beans, and soups; rice, cereal and pasta; peanut butter; shelf-stable milk and baby formula; and cooking oil and spices. Donors can contact Lacyann Francis at lfrancis@njreentry.org, or call 551-220-4472. For large donations, please include the quantity of items/gift cards and preferred pickup times.
More than 800,000 New Jersey low-income residents, and their children, depend on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to buy groceries. Funding for SNAP benefits is scheduled to run out on Saturday, Nov. 1, due to the ongoing federal government shutdown caused by Congress’ failure to enact a budget.
Earlier this week, the attorneys general in 25 states, including New Jersey, sued the Trump administration to force the U.S. Department of Agriculture to use contingency funds so that SNAP benefits can continue in their states. A federal judge is set to hear that case today.
The New Jersey Reentry Corporation is a nonprofit that provides comprehensive support services to help formerly incarcerated individuals, veterans, and those from addiction treatment centers successfully reintegrate into society. NJRC helps its clients with essential needs like healthcare, housing, and legal help, alongside employment and skills training to remove barriers and reduce recidivism.
