RWJBarnabas Health announced Tuesday that it is providing $1 million to support 14 local feeding organizations serving vulnerable communities across the state — an affirmation of its commitment to combat food insecurity in the wake of the disruption to federal food assistance benefits.
RWJBarnabas Health CEO Mark Manigan said the effort is not simply a reaction to a moment of crisis involving a reduction in the federal SNAP program, 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,” he said. “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.”
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 a 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.
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 wellbeing of low-income families. When these benefits are delayed or paused, households that rely on them may face immediate hardship.
Acting New Jersey Health Commissioner Jeff Brown saluted the effort by RWJBH.
“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.”
Coming Soon: Harvest
RWJBarnabas Health will opening of Harvest, a Farm to Community Center, in early 2026 in Newark in an effort to further amplify the health system’s efforts in fighting food insecurity.
The innovative hub 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.
Mark Dinglasan, the executive director of the New Jersey Office of the Food Security, also praised the system.
“RWJBarnabas Health continues to be a strategic partner to food security efforts throughout the state,” he said. “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.
