30 New Jersey nonprofits to receive $17.5 million in grant funding

The New Jersey Economic Developmental Authority announced Friday that it will allocate $17.5 million in grants to 30 nonprofits across the state to support restaurants and families through Phase 3 of its Sustain and Serve NJ program.

The Sustain and Serve NJ program, which was launched in December 2020, offers grant funding to nonprofit organizations who purchase meals from New Jersey restaurants that have struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic. The organizations then distribute these meals at no cost to those in need to help address food insecurity across the state.

The program has allocated $52.5 million over three phases to eligible organizations that have purchased more than 3.5 million meals from more than 400 restaurants from every county in New Jersey, according to the press release. Governor Phil Murphy allocated $10 million from the federal American Rescue Plan and about $7.5 million from the state to fund Phase 3 of the program.

Phase 1 Recipients: Teaneck, Ridgewood restaurants get $3M lifeline in state grants to feed hungry families

“Throughout the pandemic, Governor Murphy has challenged us to employ innovative methods for supporting businesses, nonprofits, and New Jerseyans in need and Sustain & Serve NJ has been a tremendous asset in helping us meet that goal,” NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan said in the release.

To be eligible for the Phase 3 grant, applicants must be a 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(19) non-profit organization that demonstrates the capacity to purchase at least 1,500 meals meals in bulk costing at least $25,000 from New Jersey restaurants costing at least $25,000. They also must demonstrate increased costs during the pandemic among other criteria to be eligible for the funding.

Non-profit recipients of Phase 3 grants

Ridgewood's HealthBarn Foundation was awarded $1 million in February 2021 during Phase 1 of the funding and $2 million during Phase 2 in June 2021, said Stacey Antine, the director of the HealthBarn USA food programs. Healthbarn was selected again as a grant recipient for Phase 3, and should be receiving about $1 million more in grant funding, Antine said.

Antine, a registered dietitian, said she founded Healthbarn to gift nutritious food to families and people in need, and that restaurants that partner with Healthbarn with this grant money need to serve meals that have one source of protein, whole grains and vegetables. She said this funding will provide 3,000 to 5,000 meals a week that will be distributed to at least 15 pantries in North Jersey.

"Everything has increased prices, including food, and we want to make sure, from a health standpoint, that we're actually not only just feeding their bellies, but that we're giving them nutritious food for their health," Antine said.

During the beginning of the pandemic, Healthbarn launched the Feed the Frontlines initiative to serve hospital workers food from local restaurants. Since then, Healthbarn has shifted to focus on delivering these meals to food pantries.

Volunteer deliverers are sent to pick up the meals and drive them to the designated food pantries, Antine said. The food pantries and the people they serve love the program because it delivers high quality food, she said.

"It's a win-win for everybody," Antine said.

John Brunelli launched the Food Warriors program with the Cliffside Hall of Fame Foundation in March 2020 when his wife posted on Facebook, asking for donations to deliver meals to healthcare workers from local restaurants. Since then, the program took off and raised more than $30,000 during its first year before they received the Phase 1 grant in February 2021.

They switched their focus from delivering meals to healthcare workers to delivering meals to local food pantries when the foundation applied for Phase 1 funding, said Brunelli, who is treasurer. He said they received $100,000 during the first round of funding, $600,000 during the second round and hope to receive similar amounts in the third round.

The organization will continue to partner with local restaurants in Cliffside Park and the surrounding area, like the Sedona Taphouse and Little Italy Pizza, to purchase meals, he said. The restaurants will deliver the meals straight to the food pantries so that they can be distributed to the clients at each location, he said.

"Every restaurant we called back said yes," Brunelli said. "They're excited to be involved again and you can't believe how thankful these organizations are to receive the funds, and it's so nice to hear."

Samuel Chong founded Our Community Dinner Table with his sister in response to the pandemic to support local restaurants who were struggling during the initial shutdown. The organization was able to fund about 10,000 meals and distribute them to residents in Bergen County during the first year, Chong said.

Once they received the first two grants, Chong said they were able to open four distribution centers in Palisades Park, Paterson, Atlantic City and Teaneck, where people can pick up fresh meals. He said they order food from a wide variety of ethnic restaurants so people can try foods they may not have tried before.

"There's a lot of stereotypes and things that you think about cultures or things that you don't understand or know, or that you haven't experienced, and I think bringing all this together help people experience things they otherwise would have never experienced," Chong said.

Chong said he appreciates how NJEDA was able to distribute the grant funding equally among nonprofits and ensure they hold the organizations accountable to what they are spending the grant money on. To receive the funding, the grant recipents must upload invoices of what they spend the funds on before they receive the grant, according to the NJEDA website.

"People that are running the program at NJEDA and the people running this specific task force group put in a lot of work and I appreciate them helping out everybody," Chong said. "Usually a lot of time when these grants come out, it goes to bigger companies and other smaller people are left out and we appreciate all the work that they put into making the people that are applying and looking out for the smaller guys too."

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ nonprofits to receive grant funding to help restaurants