$20 million in CARES Act Funding Will Support Local Food Banks During Pandemic 

Governor Phil Murphy announced that he will direct money from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, established under the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to support New Jersey food banks, which have been providing families with food assistance at unprecedented rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. The total CARES Act funding amount will be $20 million, with $10 million distributed before August 2020 and an additional $10 million available before December 2020.

The $20 million in CARES Act funding will be distributed from the Department of Agriculture to the State’s six Emergency Feeding Organizations—Southern Regional, Food Bank of South Jersey, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Mercer Street Friends, Fulfill, and Norwescap—based on a “fair share” formula that uses these organizations’ service numbers.

The Governor also highlighted nearly $390 million in additional federal funding for food assistance, which will benefit thousands of families and children as New Jersey continues to grapple with this pandemic. Of the $390 million, the Department of Human Services and Department of Education will begin delivering $208 million in special food assistance benefits to more than 500,000 school children who would have received free or reduced-price school meals during the school year. Additionally, the Department of Human Services has delivered more than $180 million in new, added benefits from federal funding to provide individuals and families who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food assistance and secured federal approval to make it easier to apply for and retain SNAP benefits.