By Laura D.C. Kolnoski
MONMOUTH COUNTY – Restaurants forced to shutter suffered when the pandemic took hold and food pantries strained under the weight of an increasing food insecure population. Sustain and Serve, a New Jersey program funded by the federal American Rescue Plan, addressed those negatives, yielding positive results that have propelled the program’s continuation.
Officials at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) said “overwhelming demand” has resulted in another $10 million in funding for Sustain and Serve, which has so far awarded over $34 million to 31 organizations like Power Changes Lives Inc., Soup Kitchen 411, Inc., and The FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. Those nonprofits then used the funds to purchase nearly 3.3 million meals from some 400 participating restaurants.
With the new funding, eligible organizations will receive grants of between $100,000 and $2 million for bulk purchases of restaurant meals to distribute to those in need at no cost. (Restaurants may not directly apply for Sustain and Serve grants.)
The EDA announced the new funding, along with additional program enhancements based on feedback from participants, Feb. 9. The cap per meal has been raised from $10 to $12, and grantees will be allowed to use a portion of their grant to support operational costs. Eligibility has also been modified. Complete details and applications can be found at njeda.com/sustain-and-serve.
The EDA scheduled an informational webinar March 2 offering tips and advice for potential applicants. A recording of the webinar will be available afterward. Program applications may be submitted now through April 1.
Sustain and Serve developed “organically,” according to Tara Colton, executive vice president of economic security at the EDA, which oversees the program.
“It was a team effort,” Colton said. “Gov. (Phil) Murphy saw innovative partnerships around New Jersey between restaurants and residents experiencing food insecurity and started kicking around ideas in the fall of 2020. There was an effort to formalize it. The mechanism we created is a simple program design but it helps so many while raising awareness and empathy.”
Two River-area restaurants participating in the program include Red Bank’s Tacoholics, Neopoli Italian Kitchen, JBJ Soul Kitchen and No Limits Cafe, as well as Nana’s Kitchen in Middletown, the Shadowbrook at Shrewsbury and Great Eats, also in Shrewsbury.
“We believe that Sustain and Serve NJ can be a national model for other states as they emerge from the economic impact of the pandemic,” Murphy said. “In addition to supporting nonprofit organizations that play a crucial role within their communities, the program also helps local restaurants keep their doors open and their employees paid, while connecting individuals facing food insecurity with much-needed meals.”
After $2 million dollars was allotted for the first phase of Sustain and Serve but $14 million in eligible applications came in, the governor designated funds to cover all of them, Colton said. The second phase conducted in the spring of 2021 allocated $10 million more to meet the demand.
“The governor and legislature worked to dedicate additional funds to support all the applicants,” Colton said “Sustain and Serve has exceeded our wildest imagination. It’s a powerful lifeline. Some restaurants said it kept them from closing their doors. Some get emotional talking about it and say it has inspired them. There’s a great sense of pride and care in prepping the meals. Meanwhile, the nonprofits speak of a staggering increase in demand, and tell us they can serve more people beyond their regular clients through Sustain and Serve. Some meals now go out in vans to feed the homeless, some work with local schools.”
The program’s Phase 3 adjustments are designed to strengthen the state’s ability to get meals into diverse communities, said Colton, whose position was established last year within the EDA. She and her team work with other agencies “to develop initiatives that support… the goals of Gov. Murphy’s ‘Stronger and Fairer New Jersey’ policies.” Tim Sullivan, EDA Chief Executive Officer, noted, “This program helps fuel our state’s overall economic recovery… and supports organizations providing nutritious meals to people statewide who may not otherwise have access to them.”
“It always comes back to dignity,” Colton said. “The number of people in New Jersey who don’t know where their next meal is coming from is significant. Sustain and Serve recipients are getting fresh, sometimes customized restaurant meals, which means so much. The governor calls it a win-win-win.”
The article originally appeared in the March 3 – 9, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
