FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Nicole Williams, Communications Manager
nwilliams@cfbnj.org / 908-355-3663 ext. 282
STATEMENT FROM CARLOS M. RODRIGUEZ, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE COMMUNITY FOODBANK OF NEW JERSEY,
ON $8 MILLION INCLUDED IN THE NEW JERSEY STATE BUDGET TO FIGHT HUNGER
Increased funds to support Nourish NJ plan in fiscal year 2020
HILLSIDE, NJ—July 1, 2019
“The Community FoodBank of New Jersey is grateful for the increased funds for the fight against hunger included in New Jersey’s fiscal year 2020 state budget. This $8 million, an expansion on what was given to the FoodBank last year, is an investment towards healthy and productive lives for our struggling neighbors that will allow us to continue critical work that addresses hunger as a health issue and provides solutions tailored to the diversity of need across the state. I commend Governor Murphy, Speaker Craig Coughlin, Senate President Steve Sweeney, and the entire state legislature for continuing to make access to nutritious food a priority at the Statehouse with the provision of funds and the passage of Speaker Coughlin’s anti-hunger bills earlier this year that signify steps towards a hunger-free Garden State.”
The $8 million, which represents the recognition of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey’s full FY2020 plan, will take the FoodBank beyond its existing network of local partner food pantries, soup kitchens, and more to lead a Nourish NJ coalition of affiliated organizations that will implement a new, coordinated approach to statewide food rescue and delivery.
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The Community FoodBank of New Jersey (CFBNJ), a member of Feeding America®, has been delivering food, help and hope across the state for over 40 years. Last year, CFBNJ provided nutritious food for over 47 million meals through its network of more than 1,000 community partners including pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, mobile pantries, and child and senior feeding programs. For our hungry neighbors, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey is the powerful agent of change that fills the emptiness caused by hunger and provides resources that are essential to earning a sustainable living.