SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — New Jersey’s Economic Development Authority has been working on innovative solutions to food insecurity. The group is now providing grants for one such solution — refrigerated food lockers.
Emily Apple, director of economic security for the NJEDA, says the main focus of this program is “to make deliveries to a more central location where people can access it more easily.”
According to Apple, grants would be available for food retailers to buy and install refrigerated lockers in public places, such as rec centers, senior centers and other places people visit close to home. Customers would be assigned a locker number and a special code to retrieve the items.
“Grocery delivery is often windows when people may not be home to pick it up, and we want to make this accessible so that you can have your food delivered and pick it up on your time, when you need it,” she said.
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Grant applications will be accepted beginning this spring. There’s no timeline yet for when locker installation will begin.
Apple says the goal is to meet people where they are and eliminate some of the logistical barriers to fresh and nutritious food.
“If they can’t reach your apartment building or if you’re not there to accept the order, or in the case where you may have a shift where you don’t get off at a certain time,” she said, “you can actually go to the locker and pick up the food and it’s locked and waiting for you.”