Food Security

Ensuring that everyone has sufficient fresh, healthy, affordable food is a critical and complicated issue.

According to the U.N. Committee on World Food Security, food security “exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”

Donations,Food,With,Canned,Food,On,The,Table,Background.,Donate

Sadly, in the State of New Jersey, many do not experience the full aspect of this definition. Feeding America estimates that 1 in 11 people across the State face food insecurity, and many more face challenges finding nutritious and culturally appropriate foods. These gaps in food security are not experienced equally across the State, but are higher in places like Trenton where a 2023 food needs survey conducted by THT found that 74% percent of respondents screened as food insecure.

In order to better understand prevalence and distribution of food insecurity throughout Mercer County, THT developed the Mercer County Food Insecurity Index.

To help households find free healthy food options, THT launched the Mercer County Free Food Finder App to help community members find free food resources in Mercer County. The app lists food pantries and meal distribution sites serving children, families, seniors, and adults. The information in this directory is updated regularly. All food resources, locations, and times are subject to change.

THT also addresses systemic and policy issues related to hunger and food security. In March 2019, THT began convening the Mercer County Food Stakeholders (MCFS), including more than 50 organizations and agencies collaborating to improve the regional food system. MCFS has been critical to coordinating food insecurity response and relief efforts, analyzing the need relative to food availability, developing public information tools, and fundraising.

We recognize that food insecurity is a complex issue without a simple solution and we understand that food insecurity is a result of systemic inequities. In order to tackle this issue we must collaborate.