MEND – Meeting Essential Needs with Dignity

The Organization:
MEND is a hunger relief organization that supports a growing network of 20 food
pantries located throughout Essex County (Newark, East Orange, Bloomfield, Irvington,
Maplewood, Montclair, Orange, South Orange, and West Orange.) MEND pantries fed
134,000 people in 2018. Roughly 38% of those fed are children, and 10% are seniors.
MEND provides infrastructure and financial support, along with supplemental food
sourcing and distribution, so its pantries can focus on serving their patrons. Based on
pantry feedback, MEND converted and operates a school bus-turned-mobile-pantry
(“The Green Bean”) to increase access to fresh food in underserved communities. MEND
collaborates to build awareness of hunger and advocate for change in ways that would
not be possible for pantries to accomplish independently. MEND also provides a monthly
forum where pantry managers share information, resources and support.

The Challenge:
Essex County has the highest rate of food insecurity in New Jersey (of 21 counties), and
no centralized facility to support its hunger relief community. Apart from The Green
Bean, MEND operates remotely. Member pantries lack sufficient space, refrigeration,
and transportation resources, which limits most distributions to shelf-stable,
non-perishable items. These foods are often high in sugar, sodium, and saturated fats.
Diet-related illnesses are highest among low-income people (and food pantry users, in
particular), who have been shown to have an insufficient intake of fresh foods.
The Project: The Fresh Food Hub

MEND's Fresh Food Hub would create a centrally located cold storage facility that would
enable each member pantry to provide a meaningful quantity of fresh food to its patrons.
Ample and secure storage space, refrigeration, and reliable transportation would allow
MEND to collaborate more fully with existing and new partners, and to increase access to
fresh food and nutrition resources for those in need. The project optimizes MEND’s
strong relationships with commercial food sources, CSAs/farms, nutrition and health
professionals, and an existing and engaged volunteer base.

The Grant:
Funds would be used to support a portion of the costs for: 1) renting a small facility with
refrigeration equipment, office and volunteer space; 2) purchasing a van (“The Sweet
Pea”); and 3) staffing . MEND would: 1) design fresh food plans for each pantry, based
on input; 2) lease space and purchase equipment; and 3) leverage and build relationships
to source and distribute more fresh food. MEND will hire programming staff, and recruit
and train volunteers, thereby doubling the number of monthly volunteer opportunities.

The Impact:
Families in need would regularly receive more fresh produce and a healthier balance of
perishable and non-perishable foods from MEND member pantries. MEND would
expand relationships with healthy food sources and allocate more fresh food efficiently
across its network, both within the pantries and beyond. Those served by MEND would
have greater access to better nutrition and health, moving towards food justice for all.