SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — A pilot program to help feed New Jersey residents during the pandemic has reached a major milestone, exceeding the expectations of the people who put it into place.
The Sustain and Serve program from New Jersey’s Economic Development Authority has served five million meals, a number people at the EDA never expected to reach.
“I think it’s just a testament to, [Gov. Phil Murphy] always says it’s a win-win-win proposition,” said Tara Colton, with the EDA.
Colton says the program was designed to feed two birds with one bowl by providing grants to nonprofits so they could buy and distribute meals from local restaurants. Colton says the $2 million pilot eventually wound up becoming a $57 million program that made an impact in all 21 counties in the state.
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“We know that many of the restaurants that provided meals for sustain and serve are flourishing,” she said. “Feeding people, keeping our restaurants open, providing people with nourishment, has an economic impact.”
Colton says the next iteration of this will likely be more targeted help for residents who need prepared meals most. “We think there’s a lot of potential going forward to try and take the best parts of this program and build on them.”
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