Exciting Programs Coming to the Food Bank Network of Somerset County

The last time I spoke with Steve Katz (no relation) was back in the summer. Steve is a retired Army Colonel and the Executive Director of the Food Bank Network of Somerset County.

Six months ago, there were about thirty thousand people in Somerset County, one of the wealthiest counties in the country, who were food insecure. According to Steve, the number of people who use their services continues to grow. Today, that number has climbed to about thirty-eight thousand people.

One thing the food bank is doing in addition to providing food to those in need is adding programs that create more value.

Steve shared an example of one of those programs. They’re partnering with Zufall Health, and “we’re kicking off a program called 'Food is Medicine' this year. The idea behind ‘Food is Medicine' is that you have a lot of people who are food insecure, and have health issues because of poor diets. They can’t afford the good stuff, and they have to eat the bad stuff. They have diabetes, high blood pressure, and even obesity, believe it or not, which is not necessarily caused by people eating too much, but eating the wrong foods.”

What the program does is get health screenings via Zufall, identify a pilot group with these health conditions, and put together healthy meal packages. These fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods are delivered twice a month. Then every few months, they’ll be screened again to see the impact.

Another planned program will also support local farmers. It involves a Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) program. The program is in partnership with a Fairgrown Farm in Pennington, New Jersey.

Steve said, “It’s kind of a win-win-win." You go to the Fairgrown Farm or foodbank website to purchase an online subscription. That allows you to order ‘farm to table.’ You pick up your order at the food bank in Bridgewater. Ten percent of the proceeds go to the food bank. This enables the food bank to buy fruits and vegetables for the Food is Medicine program.

The Food Bank Network of Somerset County website says, "The mission of The Food Bank Network is to distribute food and provide other basic human needs to those less fortunate in our community in a manner recognizing and advancing self-worth and human dignity."

For those in Central Jersey in need of food assistance, specifically in Somerset County, help is available. The Food Bank Network of Somerset County wants you to know that they can help you and your family.

If you or someone you know needs help, don’t hesitate to contact the Food Bank Network of Somerset County or your local food bank.

Call 732-560-1813 or visit somersetfoodbank.org