HIGHTSTOWN, NJ -FeedNJ, an initiative by SoupKitchen411, today announced the receipt of several large grants from local and national companies to help combat food insecurity while supporting local restaurants. Altria, Coca-Cola, CVS Health, Horizon, Phillips 66, and Verizon each donated $10,000 to SoupKitchen411’s FeedNJ initiative to match local restaurants with hardworking and resource-thin soup kitchens, resulting in thousands of meals for residents in Essex, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, and Union counties.
Each of these $10,000 donations will provide approximately 2,000 meals to local soup kitchens.
“Though the FeedNJ campaign has only been active for two months, we have been overwhelmed with support by individuals, small businesses, non-profits, charitable organizations, and even large, national corporations like CVS Health,” said Ken DeRoberts, Founder of SoupKitchen411.
“Over the past two months, we have worked with 35 family-owned restaurants to provide over ten thousand professionally prepared meals to soup kitchens in 18 municipalities throughout the state.”
Altria’s New Jersey headquarters is located in Parsippany, where they have been active in community outreach and engagement throughout the community.
Altria prioritizes environmental sustainability, clean water, and combating childhood hunger.
The contribution provided by Coca-Cola was devoted to Elijah’s Promise soup kitchen in New Brunswick.
Their grant funded six complete days of action and ensured that all guests of Elijha’s Promise received a warm and professional meal.
“We’re so grateful to all of our generous individual and corporate donors like Altria, Coca-Cola, CVS Health, Horizon, Phillips 66, and Verizon, whose support has not only helped combat the soaring food insecurity families are facing, but also support local businesses,” said New Jersey State Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, Chairman of FeedNJ. “Over its first five years of operation SoupKitchen411 built up an amazing list of regional soup kitchens, which was always available to the public, and from the moment we launched FeedNJ, we knew where quality meals were most in need.”
CVS Health has a long history of contributing to the New Jersey community. Their grant was applied to serve meals in Camden, Jersey City, Red Bank, and Trenton
The funds provided by Newark-based Horizon have gone back into the Newark Community and into the Trenton Community. Horizon has a proud history of charitable giving in Newark, and their contributions helped serve 1,000 meals at St. John’s soup kitchen in the city.
Phillips 66 is a diversified energy manufacturing and logistics company. Founded in 1917 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, Phillips 66’s maintains an energy refinery and office site in Linden. Their contribution was applied to serve meals in Elizabeth and Plainfield.
“It is wonderful that the Phillips 66 Bayway Refinery’s $10,000 donation will support both local restaurants and provide needed meals to the local community.
We are so pleased to be able to support 7 days of food distribution, to provide 1,500 – 2,000 meals to our neighbors in the local community during the months of July and August, and to further provide assistance to St. Joseph Social Service Center Soup Kitchen, a charity with which Phillips 66 Bayway has a long standing relationship,” stated Nancy Sadlon, Manager of Public Affairs, Phillips 66 Bayway Refinery in Linden, NJ.
“This Anti-Hunger Initiative is a wonderful opportunity for our company and others who have a commitment to support local community needs during this challenging time. We are proud and excited to be a part of the ongoing work of FeedNJ.”
Verizon also provided $10,000 to the FeedNJ campaign. Their funds have been used to serve meals in Perth Amboy, Trenton, and Newark.
“With so many people facing financial hardship due to the Novel coronavirus outbreak, we have increased our investment in community-based organizations that battle food insecurity, and found FeedNJ’s work to be among the best, anywhere,” said Braxton Plummer, Verizon’s New Jersey Director of State and Local Affairs.
“We appreciate FeedNJ’s unique approach of activating local restaurants to prepare quality meals for residents in need.”
SoupKitchen411 has provided over 15,000 meals throughout New Jersey so far, and plans to more than double that number in the coming months.