THT Launches Online, Interactive Food Finder Resource
by Trenton, NJ — Trenton Health Team today launched the Trenton Area Free Food Resource, an online, interactive directory and map to help our community find emergency and free healthy food options.
“COVID-19 has caused unemployment, closed schools and disrupted summer programs — which puts families at risk and creates more need for food in our community,” said THT Executive Director Gregory Paulson. “This online resource makes it easy to find the food assistance you need.”
The Trenton Area Free Food Resource lists Summer Meals sites, food pantries, and meal distribution sites serving children, families, seniors, and adults. The directory includes special events, such as pop-up farm markets, and is available as a printable document, and as a Google Calendar.
Users can look up food programs by name, search for a nearby program using a street address, sort options by day, time, eligibility and type of food, such as grab-n-go prepared meals or pantry items, and set personal calendar reminders.
Launch of the Food Resource coincides with the opening of this year’s Summer Meals program providing free meals to youth under age 18, Monday through Friday. No registration or income certification is required to participate, and parents are not required to give any personal information about their children at the sites in order to receive a free meal.
Local programs are sponsored by the City of Trenton Department of Recreation: Natural Resources & Culture, Mercer Street Friends, and the Capital Area YMCA. Meals are provided by the Food and Nutrition Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers the Summer Food Service Program.
Special Note: Trenton Health Team recently hosted a live discussion en español on Facebook (@trentonhealthteam) about Summer Meals and the impact of COVID-19 on hunger in Trenton with Maria Richardson, City of Trenton Director of Recreation, Natural Resources and Culture, and Cecilia Avila of Arm in Arm. See a similar video discussion in English with Khadijah McQueen, Director of Food Access for the Capital Area YMCA.
