Sustain and Serve Archives

Changes to Latest Phase Will Enhance Program that has Already
Supported the Purchase of Nearly 3.3 Million Meals From 400+ Restaurants

TRENTON, N.J. (February 9, 2022) – The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) today announced that it will open applications for a new round of Sustain & Serve NJ funding early next month. The announcement follows approval of enhancements to the program today by the NJEDA’s Board. The NJEDA’s Sustain & Serve NJ program provides eligible entities with grants up to $2 million to support the purchase of meals from New Jersey restaurants that have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 and the distribution of those meals at no cost to recipients. Applications are expected to open March 1, 2022 & close April 1, 2022. The application will be available at https://www.njeda.gov/sustain-and-serve/.

Through the first two phases of Sustain & Serve NJ, the NJEDA awarded more than $34 million to 31 organizations across the state, resulting in the purchase of nearly 3.3 million meals from more than 400 participating restaurants since March 2021.

“Sustain & Serve NJ offers a multitude of benefits to New Jersey communities as they work to equitably recover from COVID-19,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “In addition to supporting the 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. We believe that Sustain & Serve NJ can be a national model for other states as they emerge from the economic impact of the pandemic.”

This latest phase of Sustain & Serve NJ is funded by $10 million in American Rescue Plan funding that will be made available to non-profit organizations in New Jersey. Eligible organizations will receive grants of between $100,000 and $2 million for bulk purchases of meals from New Jersey restaurants. The entities will then distribute the meals at no cost.

“Under Governor Murphy’s leadership, New Jersey is taking a holistic, multi-agency approach to combating hunger and Sustain & Serve NJ is a vital piece of that strategy,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “Not only does this program help fuel our state’s overall economic recovery by enabling restaurants to hire and retain staff, but it also supports organizations that are providing nutritious meals to people statewide who may not otherwise have access to them.”

The NJEDA will hold an informational webinar on March 2, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. for potential applicants to learn tips and advice for applying. The webinar will also include a walk-through of the application. The webinar can be accessed here: https://tinyurl.com/SSNJPhase3. A recording of the webinar will be available at https://www.njeda.gov/sustain-and-serve/.

The NJEDA made several enhancements to the Sustain & Serve NJ programs between Phase 2 and Phase 3 based on feedback from Sustain & Serve NJ grantees and from the community. This includes raising the cap that the NJEDA will provide per meal from $10 per meal to $12 per meal, as well as allowing grantees to use a portion of their grant to support organizational implementation and operational costs. It also includes limiting eligibility to nonprofits with the following NAICS codes:

NAICS code 611 (Educational services)
NAICS code 62 (Social assistance and health care organizations)
NAICS code 813 (Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations)
NAICS code 92 (Public administration)

In Phase 3, the NJEDA is also lowering the threshold of past purchases that applicants must show to demonstrate eligibility for the program. Applicants now must demonstrate a history of purchasing at least 1,500 meals costing at least $25,000 between March 9, 2020 and the date of the application launch—lowered from 3,000 meals and $50,000, respectively, in past phases. Up to 50 percent of past purchases (i.e., up to 750 meals and $12,500) can be from donated meals from restaurants if the applicant can produce invoices from restaurant donors verifying the number of meals and monetary value of the donated meals.

Complete eligibility, as well as programmatic changes, can be found at: https://www.njeda.gov/sustain-and-serve/.

“The enhancements announced to the Sustain & Serve NJ program today reflect the increased and continued demand for services facing nonprofits today and the NJEDA’s commitment to supporting these vital organizations serving New Jerseyans,” said NJEDA Vice President of Economic Security Tara Colton. “These programmatic changes to Phase 3 strengthen our ability to get meals into New Jersey’s diverse communities as we advance the goal of creating a stronger and fairer New Jersey for all residents.”

While restaurants may not directly apply for Sustain & Serve NJ grants, those interested in providing meals through the program may opt to have their information posted publicly on the NJ COVID-19 Business Information Hub at https://forms.business.nj.gov/ssnj/restaurants/ or by completing the Sustain & Serve NJ Restaurant Interest Form available at https://forms.business.nj.gov/ssnj/restaurants/interest/. Restaurants may also contact an entity with an established bulk meal purchasing and distribution program to discuss potential participation. Potential grant applicants may choose to refer to this registry and contact restaurants about participating in the Sustain & Serve NJ program, though inclusion on the list is not an endorsement from the NJEDA as to eligibility for Sustain & Serve NJ.

About the New Jersey Economic Development Authority

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) serves as the State’s principal agency for driving economic growth. The NJEDA is committed to making New Jersey a national model for inclusive and sustainable economic development by focusing on key strategies to help build strong and dynamic communities, create good jobs for New Jersey residents, and provide pathways to a stronger and fairer economy. Through partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders, the NJEDA creates and implements initiatives to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life in the State and strengthen New Jersey’s long-term economic competitiveness.

To learn more about NJEDA resources for businesses call NJEDA Customer Care at 609-858-6767 or visit https://www.njeda.gov and follow @NewJerseyEDA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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Latest Phase Brings Total Program Allocation to Nearly $35 Million, Resulting in
the Purchase of 3.5 Million Meals from More Than 350 Restaurants

TRENTON, N.J. (August 24, 2021) – The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) today announced that an additional $11 million has been allocated to Phase 2 of the successful Sustain and Serve NJ program, bringing the total for this round of grant funding to $20 million. The NJEDA anticipates awarding grants to 29 organizations statewide through Phase 2 of the program. This funding is expected to support the purchase of two million meals from nearly 300 New Jersey restaurants in more than 120 municipalities statewide. Through Phase 1 of the program, over the past five months, the program has supported the purchase of 1.5 million meals from over 350 restaurants with grants totaling over $14 million.

“The overwhelming and heartfelt response from organizations stepping up to support their local restaurants and their neighbors truly embodies the Jersey spirit,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Restaurants are an essential part of our economy and their success is essential to our state’s recovery from the pandemic. Having so many entities leverage Sustain and Serve NJ funds to not only inject cash into restaurants but also partner with those restaurants to feed members of their community is an absolute grand slam.”

With Phase 2 of Sustain & Serve NJ, the NJEDA will provide $20 million in grant funding to entities throughout the state to support expenses directly tied to bulk purchasing of meals from New Jersey-based restaurants. Each awardee will receive a grant of between $100,000 and $2 million to fund these purchases. The entities will then distribute the meals at no cost to the recipients of the meals.

Governor Murphy signed legislation in June 2021 that, in part, allocated funding for Sustain and Serve NJ, enabling the NJEDA to open Phase 2 of the program. Due to the enormous interest from organizations and restaurants throughout the state, NJEDA is dedicating an additional $11 million in federal monies.

“From the outset of COVID-19, Governor Murphy has driven innovative programs to help New Jersey residents and businesses weather the economic effects of the pandemic,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “We are grateful to the Governor for strengthening New Jersey’s vital restaurant industry through initiatives like Sustain and Serve NJ. Bolstering this sector will help fuel our recovery efforts and propel our economy forward.”

In addition to Governor Murphy, Sullivan also thanked New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin for their support.

Community leaders and legislators throughout New Jersey are applauding the Sustain and Serve NJ Program as a win-win for the state.

“Restaurants are among the small businesses hit hardest by the pandemic, and supporting their recovery is key to restoring the vibrance of our communities,” said Senator Dawn Addiego. “I can’t think of a better way to rally around the restaurant community while helping those in need than the funding model created by Sustain and Serve NJ.”

“The Sustain and Serve program is an innovative way to bolster the restaurant industry while supporting community members who need a helping hand during this difficult time,” said Assemblyman John Armato. “This funding will help countless restaurants in Atlantic City and beyond keep their employees on the payroll and continue to serve both residents and visitors alike. Our communities will be better off as a result of the ongoing implementation of this critical program.”

“The structure of Sustain and Serve NJ is smart and proactive in terms of the dual benefits it provides,” said New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association President and CEO Dana Lancellotti. “In addition to helping restaurants keep their lights on and their workers employed, the program provides an opportunity for them to make a positive difference for their communities.”

“Community policing supports safer, stronger neighborhoods and the State Policemen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) is grateful to for the opportunity to distribute food purchased from local restaurants by FeedNJ to people in need,” said NJ State PBA President Pat Colligan. “The pandemic laid bare how many New Jerseyans are on the verge of food insecurity and being able to share meals is a wonderful way to build trust in our communities. The Sustain and Serve NJ program isn’t just helping to support restaurants and put food on some otherwise empty tables – it’s helping to preserve the dignity of some of our most vulnerable citizens.”

Newark-based Audible launched Newark Working Kitchens in April 2020 and has already distributed over one million meals within the community.

“The Sustain and Serve NJ Program has made a measurable impact on Newark’s local restaurants and residents most in need of support,” said Don Katz, Audible Founder and Executive Chairman. “The added grant funding announced today will provide more vital support for community members without enough food and independent small businesses, which have been able to stay open throughout the pandemic by cooking meals for Newark Working Kitchens.”

A full list of participating organizations can be found at the end of this news release. Organizations marked with an asterisk (*) are new to the Sustain and Serve NJ Program for Phase 2.

The Coalition for Food and Health Equity in Hudson County works with small businesses and organizations in its community to accelerate food, health, and economic equity within Black and brown communities. A $450,000 grant from Phase 1 of the Sustain and Serve NJ Program supported the purchase of 45,000 meals from local restaurants that the nonprofit distributed to food-insecure residents in Hudson County.

“We founded the Coalition as a direct result of the needs we were seeing from community members affected by the economic upheaval of the pandemic,” said Dr. Leeja Carter, Founder and Executive Director of the Coalition for Food and Health Equity. “Our meals have been described as ‘truly a Godsend’ and ‘a blessing to families’. We are grateful that the Sustain and Serve NJ program will enable us to give tens of thousands more ‘blessings’ in the coming months.”

In Mercer County, the Rescue Mission of Trenton provides a safe, clean, and warm refuge for people within its community. It also offers healthcare, housing assistance, addiction treatment and job training to its clients. The organization provided nearly 76,000 meals in the past year. The Rescue Mission’s efforts were supported by a $100,000 grant during Phase 1 of Sustain and Serve NJ.

“The Rescue Mission has been part of the greater Trenton area for over a century and this year we have seen a significant uptick in demands we must address as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Trenton Rescue Mission Chief Executive Officer Barrett T. Young, MA, CADC. “The Sustain & Serve NJ program allows us to simultaneously broaden our reach while supporting restaurants in our neighborhood.”

Mid-Atlantic States Career and Education Center* is participating in Sustain and Serve NJ for the first time in Phase 2. The Salem County-based nonprofit focuses on building effective community partnerships, improving the health and well-being of its clients, providing hands-on career and job skill development for disadvantaged and disabled workers, and creating a sustainable, stable community.

“We have spent the past 25 years guided by the mission ‘We Grow People^TM,’ and that means taking a holistic approach to nourishing not just the mind, but the body as well,” said H. Glen Donelson, President & Chief Executive Officer of Mid-Atlantic States Career and Education. “We’re thrilled for the opportunity to partner with restaurants within our community to provide thousands of free meals thanks to the grant we are receiving from the Sustain and Serve NJ Program.”

Pending the outcome of final reviews, the NJEDA anticipates making awards to the following entities to participate in Phase 2 of the Sustain & Serve NJ program:

Organization		Locations of Participating Restaurants
Name	Headquarters	Municipality(ies)	County(ies)
A Need We Feed Inc.	Toms River	Farmingdale Borough Lakehurst Borough Manahawkin Seaside Heights Seaside Park Toms River	Monmouth Ocean





Asbury Park Dinner Table	Asbury Park	Asbury Park	Monmouth
AtlantiCare Foundation	Egg Harbor	Atlantic City Egg Harbor Galloway Ventnor	Atlantic



Chef Lou's Army	Pine Beach	Manasquan Sea Girt Shrewsbury Toms River	Monmouth Ocean



Coalition for Food and Health Equity	Jersey City	Jersey City Newark	Essex Hudson

Congregation Bnos Devorah*	Lakewood	Lakewood	Ocean
Elizabeth Education Association	Elizabeth	Elizabeth	Union
FLAG for Cranford	Cranford	Cranford West Orange	Essex Union

FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties (Fulfill)	Neptune	Asbury Park Atlantic Highlands Belmar Brick Freehold Holmdel Long Branch Manasquan Neptune New Brunswick Ocean Red Bank Spring Lake Toms River	Middlesex Monmouth Ocean













Front Line Appreciation Group of Millburn Short Hills	Short Hills	Millburn Short Hills	Essex

HealthBarn Foundation	Ridgewood	Ridgewood	Bergen
Holy Name Medical Center Foundation	Teaneck	Bergenfield Cliffside Park Clifton Garfield Hackensack Mahwah Maywood New Milford Palisades Park Paramus Park Ridge Teaneck Washington Township Wyckoff	Bergen Gloucester Passaic













Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy Inc.	Livingston	Livingston	Essex
Meals on Wheels of Mercer County	Ewing	Ewing Trenton	Mercer

Mid-Atlantic States Career and Education Center*	Pennsville	Pennsville	Salem
Morristown Rotary Club	Morristown	Morristown Verona	Essex Morris

Newark Working Kitchens (Community Foundation of New Jersey)	Newark	Newark	Essex
New Jersey Farmers Cooperative	Cape May	Cape May West Cape May	Cape May

Our Community Dinner Table	South Hackensack	Bergenfield Englewood Fort Lee Palisades Park	Bergen



Power Changes Lives*	Morris Plains	Elizabeth Morristown	Morris Union

Rescue Mission of Trenton	Trenton	Ewing Trenton	Mercer

Share My Meals Inc	Princeton	Princeton Skillman	Mercer Somerset

Soup Kitchen 411 (FeedNJ)	Hightstown	Asbury Park Bayonne Belford Belleville Bogota Bradley Beach Branchville Brick Bridgewater Township Camden Cranford East Brunswick East Cranford Eatontown Elizabeth Englewood Englishtown Fairview Freehold Glassboro Hamilton Harrison Hightstown Hoboken Jersey City Lawrenceville Leonardo Little Falls Long Branch Manalapan Medford Middletown Millville Monroe Montclair Morristown Neptune Netcong New Brunswick Newark Parsippany-Troy Hills Perth Amboy Pine Brook Princeton Princeton Junction Red Bank Ridgewood Rochelle Park Rockaway Roselle Sayreville Scotch Plains Shrewsbury South Amboy South River Summit Tinton Falls Toms River Vineland Wanaque Washington Township West Long Branch West Windsor Westfield Wharton	Bergen Burlington Camden Cumberland Essex Gloucester Hudson Mercer Middlesex Monmouth Morris Ocean Passaic Somerset Union































































TASK Inc (Trenton Area Soup Kitchen)	Trenton	East Windsor Ewing Hamilton Pennington Princeton West Windsor	Mercer





The Cliffside Park Hall of Fame Foundation	Cliffside Park	Cliffside Park Hillsdale Northvale River Vale South Hackensack Washington Township Westwood	Bergen






The Foundation for University Hospital	Newark	Belleville Newark Rutherford	Bergen Essex


The Summit Foundation	Summit	Summit	Union
Toni's Kitchen, a food ministry of St. Luke's Church	Montclair	Montclair	Essex
Tri-Arc Community Development Corporation*	Hackensack	Bergenfield	Bergen

Funding Expected to Result in the Purchase of Approximately 1.5M Meals From At Least 160 NJ Restaurants

TRENTON, N.J. (February 25, 2021) – The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) today announced that it anticipates awarding $14 million in grants to 27 organizations through its Sustain & Serve NJ program. The NJEDA launched applications for Sustain & Serve NJ in late 2020 to support restaurants that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The NJEDA expects that the funding announced today will result in the purchase of 1.5 million meals from at least 160 New Jersey restaurants in at least 69 cities in 12 counties.

“New Jersey’s restaurants were hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the outpouring of interest in Sustain & Serve NJ underscores the community’s desire to help local restaurants and the neighborhoods they serve,” Governor Phil Murphy said. “The positive economic impact of this program for the restaurant industry, combined with the good it will do in the community, makes Sustain & Serve NJ a home run.”

Through Sustain & Serve NJ, the NJEDA anticipates providing $14 million in grant funding to entities throughout the Garden State to support expenses directly tied to bulk purchasing of meals from New Jersey-based restaurants. Each awardee will receive a grant of between $100,000 and $2 million to fund these purchases. The entities will then distribute the meals at no cost.

The NJEDA announced Sustain & Serve NJ in December as a $2 million pilot program. However, due to the enormous interest from organizations and restaurants throughout the state, NJEDA anticipates dedicating an additional $12.4 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act monies to fund all eligible applications.

“New Jersey’s restaurants are paramount to our state’s economy and Governor Murphy has made bolstering this industry a focal point of our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “The tremendous response to our Sustain & Serve NJ program showcases the eagerness from organizations statewide to support local establishments within their communities.”

The NJEDA is completing reviews of additional applicants and may provide additional awards in the near future.

A full list of participating organizations can be found at the end of this news release.

Reaction to the program from around the state has been overwhelmingly positive.

SoupKitchen411, a non-profit founded in 2015 to raise awareness about the epidemic of hunger, launched its FeedNJ initiative in April 2020 to eradicate hunger and stimulate local economies by purchasing restaurant-prepared meals to be donated to local soup kitchens. To date, the initiative has served more than 35,000 meals to people in 11 counties throughout New Jersey.

“COVID-19 brought about unprecedented challenges to the restaurant industry and at the same time put unmatched strains on local soup kitchens that partner with SoupKitchen411 as they work to keep up with demand,” said Ken DeRoberts, SoupKitchen411 Chairman and Co-Founder. “No man, woman or child should go to bed hungry and we are working with our partners around New Jersey to abolish food insecurity. We are grateful to the NJEDA for this innovative program and are heartened that hundreds of thousands of New Jersey-restaurant-prepared meals will be distributed to people in need as a result of this Sustain and Serve grant.”

Our Community Dinner Table is a food crisis relief organization based in Palisades Park that was established in the wake of COVID-19 to provide well-rounded meals to the community while also supporting local restaurants. The organization has focused on purchasing meals from restaurants that rely on sit-down customers and/or catering events.

“The economic downfall caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted families and local businesses all across the country, and neighborhoods in northern New Jersey are certainly not immune from this devastation,” said Our Community Dinner Table Founder Samuel Chong. “The Sustain & Serve NJ program will allow us to simultaneously broaden our reach while continuing to support restaurants in our area that are reflective of the diversity of our community.”

The AtlantiCare Foundation was founded in 1977 to generate significant charitable support to ensure AtlantiCare’s vision of building healthy communities within southeastern New Jersey. AtlantiCare is based in Atlantic City.

“The concept of Sustain and Serve NJ and its ability for organizations like ours to impact our local community while purchasing meals from local restaurants is brilliant. It aligns perfectly with our mission,” said AtlantiCare Foundation Executive Director Samantha Kiley. “This program is a wonderful way for our organization to give back to local establishments that so generously supported our frontline teams throughout the pandemic. It also addresses the broad economic impact COVID has had on our community.”

Organization	Headquarters	Participating Restaurant'(s) Location(s) Municipality(ies)	Participating Restaurant'(s) Location(s) County(ies)
A Need We Feed Inc.	Toms River	Farmingdale Borough, Lakehurst Borough, Manahawkin, Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, Toms River	Monmouth, Ocean
Aid the Hungry Inc (FeedNJ)	Hightstown	Belford, Belleville, Brick Camden, East Brunswick, Elizabeth, Englewood, Englishtown, Hamilton, Hightstown, Hoboken, Lawrenceville, Metuchen, Montclair, Morristown, New Brunswick, Newark, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Perth Amboy, Pine Brook, Princeton, Princeton Junction, Red Bank, Rockaway, Tinton Falls, Toms River	Bergen, Camden, Essex, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Union
Asbury Park Dinner Table	Asbury Park	Asbury Park	Monmouth
AtlantiCare Foundation	Egg Harbor	Egg Harbor, Galloway, Ventnor	Atlantic
Chef Lou's Army	Pine Beach	Manasquan, Toms River	Monmouth, Ocean
City of Jersey City	Jersey City	Jersey City	Hudson
Coalition for Food and Health Equity	Jersey City	Multiple	Essex
Elizabeth Education Association	Elizabeth	Elizabeth	Union
FLAG of Cranford	Cranford	Cranford, West Orange	Essex, Union
FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties (Fulfill)	Neptune	Asbury Park, Atlantic Highlands, Brick, Holmdel Long Branch, Manasquan, Neptune, New Brunswick, Ocean, Red Bank, Spring Lake, Toms River	Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean
Front Line Appreciation Group	Chatham	Chatham, Florham Park, Green Village, Madison	Morris
Front Line Appreciation Group of Millburn Short Hills	Short Hills	Millburn	Essex
HealthBarn Foundation	Ridgewood	Ridgewood, Village	Bergen
Holy Name Medical Center Foundation	Teaneck	Teaneck Washington Township	Bergen

Joseph Kushner Hebrew Academy Inc.	Livingston	Livingston	Essex
Meals on Wheels of Mercer County	Ewing	Ewing, Lawrenceville	Mercer
Morristown Rotary Club	Morristown	Morristown, Verona	Essex, Morris
Newark Working Kitchens (Community Foundation of New Jersey)	Newark	Newark	Essex
New Jersey Farmers Cooperative	Cape May	West Cape May	Cape May
Our Community Dinner Table	South Hackensack	Fort Lee, Palisades Park	Bergen
Rescue Mission of Trenton	Trenton	Ewing, Trenton	Mercer
Share My Meals Inc	Princeton	Princeton	Mercer
St. Luke's Church	Montclair	Caldwell, Monclair	Essex
TASK Inc (Trenton Area Soup Kitchen)	Trenton	East Windsor, Hamilton	Mercer
The Cliffside Park Hall of Fame Foundation	Cliffside Park	Cliffside Park, Hillsdale, River Vale, South Hackensack	Bergen
The Foundation for University Hospital	Newark	Belleville, Newark, Rutherford	Bergen, Essex
The Summit Foundation	Summit	Summit	Union

Comprehensive information about New Jersey’s coronavirus response is available at https://cv.business.nj.gov.

About the New Jersey Economic Development Authority

To learn more about NJEDA resources for businesses, call NJEDA Customer Care at 609-858-6767 or visit https://www.njeda.gov and follow @NewJerseyEDA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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