New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate

A message from Mark Dinglasan, MBA, Executive Director of the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate, following today's statement from the USDA. Here are links to the two documents referenced in his message. 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: https://lnkd.in/eZ2kY_bw + Know Your Rights documents for individuals and organizations from the Office of New Americans: https://lnkd.in/eUUfhFjQ We are also posting these messages on our Facebook page and website to reach as many community organizations as possible.

#ICYMI NJ Spotlight News' Friday broadcast - The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the elimination of the Local Food Purchase Assistance and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement programs, both of which help NJ farmers provide fresh food to schools and food pantries. Hear how that decision will impact our state's food system and everyday life for New Jerseyans. Watch: https://lnkd.in/eiRu5H39 Interviewed in this story, with our appreciation for their participation and for their day-to-day work: + Sal Valenza for the NJ School Nutrition Association + Robin Peacock, Meeting Essential Needs With Dignity + Devin Cornia, Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey + Felix Donato from Landisville Produce Co-op #FoodSecurityForAll #Farmers #NourishingFood #Schools #Agriculture

This week has been a lot for a number of partners, friends and neighbors. Here are two new reflections from our "Nourishing Hope & Heart in Each Other" series. Take a quick listen, breathe and be as Scott Savokinas, Director of The Lord’s Pantry at Trinity UMC in Hackettstown and Jenny Schrum, PhD share the inspirational and reflective thoughts that are carrying them through. Rest, nurture and recharge as best you can this weekend and we'll continue holding each other up in this work. #FoodSecurityForAll #CommunityFood #NourishingFood https://lnkd.in/eJW8F_Tg

A great one-stop resource day! We teamed up with NJ Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson for Your Money, Your Taxes, Smart Filing 101, helping Capital Area YMCA families navigate important tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit. We also shared details on free tax filing sites in the county, plus vital resources like NJ SNAP, NJ SAVES, and Get Covered NJ. The New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate was on-site providing info on Summer EBT, ensuring kids have access to meals during the summer. Empowering families with knowledge and support—that’s what community is all about! Images provided by NJ Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds Jackson Office #uwgmc #uwgreatermercer #unitedistheway #mercercountynj #njnonprofit #FinancialWellness #TaxSeason #CommunitySupport

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 TRENTON – Governor Murphy and Speaker Craig Coughlin today condemned the U.S. Department of Agriculture's decision to eliminate the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program. The USDA canceled over $26 million in previously committed funding that would have supported producers across New Jersey in providing fresh, locally sourced food to schools and food banks. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture will not be receiving $9.9 million in Local Food Purchase Assistance funding and over $16.2 million in Local Food For Schools Cooperative Agreement funding for Fiscal Year 2025. In all, there are 46 producers across New Jersey participating in these programs, 32 of which are underserved producers.   Read more: https://lnkd.in/eF3RK5rM New Jersey Assembly Democratic Office Mark Dinglasan, MBA

It's National School Breakfast Week! We thank the caring adults, from school cafeteria staff and nutrition directors, to classroom educators and paraprofessionals, school district administrators, and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture Division of Food and Nutrition Services for their efforts. It's the daily menu planning, preparation, service and other work of each of our NJ colleagues and partners that ensures students can start their day with the nutrition they need to succeed in class and beyond graduation. Students who eat breakfast the morning of a standardized test have significantly higher scores in spelling, reading, and math, compared to those who do not eat breakfast. Also, students who participate in school breakfast show improved attendance, behavior, and academic performance as well as decreased tardiness, according to a Breakfast for Learning research brief developed by the Food Research & Action Center. Browse the brief: https://lnkd.in/eQqEyRUg #NSBW2025

Passaic County-based #Funding Opportunity - On Thurs., March 6 at 2:30 pm, an informational/pre-proposal meeting will be held via livestream and in person. Passaic County is seeking qualified organizations or agencies to provide Community Justice Programs in Passaic County Schools for Passaic County High School Students, including Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors, and youth probationers or those exhibiting behavioral challenges in a school setting. The grant period is from April 1 - December 31, 2025 and the award will be administered by the County Department of Human Services. A pre-proposal meeting will be held on Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 2:30 pm at the Passaic County Procurement Center, 495 River Street, 2nd Floor, Paterson, NJ 07524. All Interested parties are encouraged to attend in person or via Live-Stream. Bidders can access the Livestream at https://lnkd.in/eQp4Pady. Applications are due Wed., March 19. View details: https://lnkd.in/e_93HZeU

On Wed., Feb. 26 at 11 a.m., local food pantries, community kitchens and other emergency food service providers across our state are invited to join "Lunch & Learn: Briefing and Q&A on Immigrant Rights Preparedness for Food Pantries and Organizations in Food Security Spaces," co-hosted by New Jersey Consortium for Immigrant Children and Make the Road NJ. By the end of this training with Lowenstein Sandler LLP and Make the Road NJ, emergency feeding teams will have a better understanding of how their organizations can protect individuals and families if immigration agents enter their buildings. Register: https://lnkd.in/e2mGQjzy

NJ community pantries, kitchens and other #FoodSecurity partners: this Feb. 26 Lunch & Learn will focus specifically on the informational needs your teams might have. Both the New Jersey Consortium for Immigrant Children and Make the Road New Jersey, the co-hosts for this session, are trusted partner agencies of our colleagues in the NJ Department of Human Services' Office of New Americans. Please encourage your staff to register and attend. If you experience difficulty registering via the link in the post, try this one: https://lnkd.in/e2mGQjzy

#FundingOpportunity Update: TOMORROW (Feb. 20) at 10 a.m. EST, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA)'s FEED NJ application portal opens. What is FEED NJ? Food Equity and Economic Development in New Jersey (FEED NJ) is a $30M pilot program awarding grants between $50K and $500K to for-profit and nonprofit entities doing innovative work to improve residents’ ability to access fresh, affordable, and healthy food in New Jersey's most acute Food Desert Communities. The New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate team is eager to support the FEED NJ program in every way possible, and we deeply appreciate our NJEDA colleagues embracing the holistic definition of #FoodSecurity this office adopted for our state while designing this funding opportunity. Browse complete details and resources for interested applicants: https://lnkd.in/edj554ua