Office of the Governor | Governor Murphy Pronounces Deployment of National Guard to Assist Food Banks

TRENTON – As New Jersey households proceed to go with out their SNAP advantages, Governor Phil Murphy as we speak introduced that members of the New Jersey National Guard have been deployed to assist Emergency Food Organizations (EFOs) and New Jerseyans in want.

“The Trump Administration’s failure to fund SNAP benefits has left hundreds of thousands of New Jersey residents feeling scared and unsure of where their next meal will come from. New Jersey is deploying members of the National Guard to support the state’s whole-of-government response to this unprecedented crisis and offer aid to our food banks at a time of heightened need,” stated Governor Murphy. “Today, members of the Air National Guard are mobilizing to deliver refrigerated storage containers to the Community Foodbank of New Jersey and Fulfill, enhancing the cold storage capacity at critical hubs for our emergency feeding organizations.”

“When our neighbors are in need, the New Jersey National Guard stands ready to serve,” stated Brigadier General Yvonne L. Mays, The Adjutant General of New Jersey and Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. “Our Soldiers and Airmen are proud to work with state and local partners in ensuring families continue to have access to essential support.”

At the request of the Community Food Bank of NJ and of Fulfill, the State is deploying 4 refrigerated storage containers as we speak from the State’s strategic stockpile. Three refrigerated storage containers have been delivered to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey in Hillside, and one refrigerated storage container has been delivered to Fulfill in Neptune. As the EFOs modify their inventories to handle this unprecedented second, this chilly storage capability will help in making contemporary meals accessible to New Jersey households.

This is made attainable by the mixed efforts of the Air National Guard, the New Jersey Department of Health, the Office of Emergency Management, and the South Jersey Transportation Authority.

Members of the New Jersey National Guard are additionally mobilizing to assist the Community Food Bank in Hillside with meals distribution.

More than 800,000 New Jerseyans depend on SNAP to satisfy their primary dietary wants. Of the 800,000, nearly half are youngsters, one in three are people with a incapacity, and one in 5 are over the age of 60 years. The ongoing lapse in SNAP advantages will make it tough or inconceivable for these residents to acquire dietary help and, in consequence, they might go hungry.

At this time, November federal advantages are usually not but accessible to New Jersey households. The U.S. Department of Agriculture should take additional motion to effectuate the distribution of the contingency funds in order that they’ll change into accessible to recipients. The State anticipates continued gaps in entry on account of these delays brought on by the federal authorities, and can proceed to offer updates about when SNAP advantages will probably be issued.

This state of affairs continues to vary, so SNAP meals help recipients ought to examine their accounts at NJFamiliesFirst.com; name 800-997-3333; and go to njsnap.gov or nj.gov/snapshutdown for updates on the standing of their SNAP advantages.

Plenty of pantries supply contemporary produce along with steady, non-perishable meals, procuring appointments, and details about extra companies. Residents are inspired to find meals pantries and neighborhood kitchens by way of NJ 211 here.