- [Narrator] Funding for this edition of Think Tank with Steve Adubato has been provided by NJM Insurance Group.

Serving New Jersey’s drivers, homeowners and business owners for more than 100 years.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

Valley Bank.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

PSEG Foundation.

The Turrell Fund, a foundation serving children.

The North Ward Center.

Holy Name.

And by Stockton University.

Promotional support provided by BestofNJ.com.

All New Jersey in one place.

And by CIANJ, and Commerce Magazine.

[MOTIVATIONAL MUSIC] - Hi everyone, Steve Adubato.

For the next half hour we'll be talking about food insecurity.

People use that term a lot, but what does it actually mean and where are we in terms of government policies as it relates to dealing with food insecurity, those who are struggling to put the next meal on the table.

Joining us, a panel of experts.

Jennifer Apostle, who is director of an organization called Replenish.

Cara Gabris, who is chief of staff at the Community Food Bank in New Jersey, our longtime partners in creating greater public awareness around food insecurity.

And finally, Begum Malali, who is Director of Food Security Initiatives at Jewish Family Service of Atlantic and Cape May Counties.

Begum, did I say that right?

Or is it Begum?

Begum.

- Begum, I apologize.

Thank you for correcting me.

Begum, let's start with you because I got your name wrong.

Define food insecurity for folks and why it's so relevant to all of us.

- So it's, you know ideally access to folks being able to feed themselves or their families, and the lack of access, I should say.

And it's been, you know, an ongoing thing for as long as we can remember and what we try to do is help to establish the households that we serve and the families we serve here in Atlantic County, with getting to security, food security.

- Cara described the Community Food Bank and its connection to the issue of food insecurity.

- The Community Food Bank of New Jersey is the largest food charity in the state of New Jersey.

There are over a million residents in the state who are food insecure.

The Food Bank of New Jersey, we work with a network of over 800 partners, over 15 counties.

11 of those counties we serve directly in getting food and other resources like SNAP benefits, job training, nutrition, education, out into the community.

- Well said.

And Jennifer, describe Replenish.

- Sure, Replenish is the Middlesex County Food Bank.

We are embedded in Middlesex County government and we are a network of over 135 food pantries, soup kitchens, and social service organizations throughout all 25 towns in Middlesex County.

And we try to provide our food pantries with healthy, nutritious foods and necessities as well as connections to community resources to help make those social service connections to the residents they're serving.

- Jennifer, it's interesting you describe food pantry and food bank.

What's the difference, Jennifer?

- Well, we kind of think of food banks as more of the regional hub that provides to food pantries.

And food pantries are the ones who are directly serving residents and community members.

- And Cara, you are a food bank.

- Correct, yes.

And so we work with Replenish, absolutely.

- Let's do this.

There's a lot of talk about SNAP benefits.

Describe what SNAP benefits are, Jennifer.

What are SNAP benefits and let's talk about what the cuts are and ultimately, the impact on people's lives, Jennifer.

- So the SNAP benefits are the federal funding supports for individuals who meet that economic threshold for getting the benefits formerly known as food stamps.

So they are federal funds that go on a card that allow residents to shop for the items that they're in need of.

And we know that recently those, accessing SNAP benefits has been changed.

The certification around qualifying for benefits, the work requirements, also the funding for those benefits has all been, is all being shifted.

And with the government shutdown back in November, residents were without their benefits for a couple of weeks.

So it's been a very challenging time.

You know, while we know that the SNAP benefits don't fully meet people's food needs, they do provide a very real benefit for people experiencing food insecurity.

So food pantries, food banks, have really been scrambling to beef up the resources that we have and to increase what we're providing to our food pantries, and essentially to our neighbors, who are struggling at this time.

- SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, - Correct, yes.

- Okay, so I'm gonna ask you and Begum the same question.

but what is the impact on people's lives, those who are food insecure, who are struggling, who have may have lost a job?

Is this the economics of living in this state ridiculously expensive?

Which is why the issue of affordability is so real.

Talk about the impact first on a family, Cara.

- Yeah, so really what Jennifer was saying is that these changes that went into effect from the reconciliation bill, the "One Big Beautiful Bill" back in July, these changes really just make it harder for folks who are either currently receiving SNAP benefits and maybe are recertifying or people who are applying for the first time.

The intention is to cut back SNAP at a federal level over $200 billion over the next 10 years.

And they aim to do that by attrition in the program, by making it more difficult to maintain program benefits or to apply.

And so what that can look like is that somebody who may be currently receiving benefits may not be eligible anymore, and have to then turn to the charitable food system, to food pantries to receive that assistance.

And unfortunately, the food charity network is not set up to handle that gap.

And to put that really into perspective, for every meal that a food bank can provide, SNAP provides nine.

- Lay that out again, because I bet you there are people watching right now who say, "Hey, wait a minute.

I thought that was a charitable thing?"

Why should the government be funding these food insecurity programs, Cara?

- Yeah, and so, I mean really I think to get back to that is like what it boils down to is, let's talk about, you know, kind of the root cause of why people are accessing SNAP, or even the charitable food system.

This is really a economic issue where there are wages that are not keeping up with the cost of living and people then turn to food, I think, food stamps as a first choice.

We do know that over 80% of recipients of SNAP benefits have a working member in their household.

And again, if they're not able to qualify or they miss the paperwork, you know, requirements, they turn to the charitable food system to access food.

- Begum, jump in here.

- Yes.

I mean, would like to add the fact that, you know, in a broader context, with inflation and food prices on the rise, I think the biggest impact there is just what those two things is families are now fighting the struggle working, or if they can't work now, how are they gonna bring in the food?

And so with all the above, you know, with the increase, as you said Steve, New Jersey is not it, it's an expensive state.

So in addition to everything, I think that's where we're gonna see a lot of the barriers comes through.

- Okay, but here's what I keep thinking about.

We're talking about federal cuts, cuts to SNAP and related programs, but the direct impact on families that are food insecure.

But then the question becomes, and I want you to jump in on this, Jennifer, what about the state government?

We have a new governor, Mikie Sherrill, taking office.

What is the role from your perspective of state government versus the federal government?

Meaning, can the state government with all its fiscal challenges make up for the federal cuts, Jennifer?

- So, no.

I mean our state of New Jersey has been very supportive of food security, but they cannot make up fully for the federal provisions.

So with the SNAP benefits being, you know, cut back and more onus put on state to, and the counties, to fulfill those benefits, we can't simply make up those that difference.

But, you know, our state is very supportive of food security work with the Office of the food security advocate, bringing together coalitions of countywide, you know, charitable food sector organizations.

So very supportive of our work, but they can't make up for the federal cuts.

- What is the connection between nutrition and food and security?

Cara?

- Yeah, I'm so glad you asked that.

I am a registered dietician and working in this space, I get to wear my dietician hat and I truly can't say enough that nutrition is fundamental to our health and wellbeing.

This is, you know, just a fact.

We know that there is a correlation between food insecurity and poor diet quality, unfortunately.

And, you know, being in this space to be able to feed at a mass scale, it is so vital that we have nutritious foods that we are putting out into the community.

I'm really just pleased to say that the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, over a third of what we distribute to the community is fresh produce.

We have a nutrition policy in place where we rank our inventory between foods that are to be chosen often, sometimes, and rarely.

And we are, again, proud to say that within the first year of implementing that policy, over 93% of our purchase food inventory, the food that we have the most control over acquiring was ranked, again, 93% was in the choose often, choose sometimes category.

So nutrition and how food banks and again, food pantries kinda respond to the communities is just so important in this work.

- We're coming up against a break, but Begum, let me ask you a question.

What is, I've been reading about the choice model.

What is the choice model?

- So.

- Choice model of what?

- Well, I mean, traditionally pantries really try to get to this point where it allows choice, and to Cara's point, again, it's allowing folks or neighbors to really choose the options that are more preferable to their diet, their lifestyle.

And here at JFS we actually have our mobile truck that goes out into the city seven times a month, which is completely open concept.

- Hold on, what city?

- Atlantic City.

I apologize.

- Okay, just checking.

We're up, hold on, we're up in the northern, taping from the northern part.

When people say the city, it could be confusing.

- Yeah.

- Atlantic City.

- Yes, Atlantic City.

So South Jersey.

and the truck is an open market, which holds about 17 items of just produce alone, and then, of course, non-perishables.

And so we used to, we like to say that the truck in itself is choice, which allows folks to really shop at no cost to them.

Additionally, we also have a software database that folks can create an online account, schedule an appointment, and shop similar to what I usually say Instacart looks like to get to shop the items that they want and schedule an appointment for pickup.

- Begum, who are you seeing?

I never liked the question.

Who's the typical person who comes to a food pantry or food bank?

I don't because, I don't even know what that means, but what kind of folks are you seeing, Begum?

- Yeah, I think, I mean it's safe to say it's a diversified portfolio.

We have anyone from elder, the elder population, to families with two, three, four, five children.

And a big component also is our Spanish population.

So Hispanics.

We have a few different mobile distributions, you know, that customize to their needs as well.

And so I think it's honestly a diversified portfolio.

- Yeah, and I imagine there are more people that fall into this category of being food insecure than there were just a few years ago.

People talk about affordability as if it's just a political issue.

We're talking about people's lives.

We're talking about the quality of their lives.

They're talking about food they can put or can't put on the table.

We're talking about food insecurity, addressing food insecurity solutions, remedies, challenges connected to food insecurity.

It's an important panel.

Stay with us, we'll be right back.

To watch more Think Tank with Steve Adubato, find us online and follow us on social media.

- Welcome back folks.

We're talking more about food insecurity.

There are a couple of other issues I wanna raise.

Let's talk about food access.

Cara, what exactly are we talking about when we're talking about food access or access to food?

- Yeah, and I think that food access and talking about creative models to get food to folks that need it is so important.

For example, in South Jersey, we just launched food lockers.

These are refrigerated pantry lockers that folks can go online and order food ahead of time and they can pick up the food that they're choosing 24/7.

This is something that we are finding families are using this before school starts in the morning, they're running to the locker and grabbing their order.

They're going after work.

Sometimes at 8 or 9:00 PM.

We know that we're serving families that are busy.

They are working multiple jobs.

And again, this idea that we are meeting people where they're at, finding creative solutions, whether it's lockers, whether it's a home delivery service, getting people the food that they need in the way that they need it.

- How challenging, Jennifer, is it to actually do that?

Again, the mobile thing, I understand, but also you can have only so many mobile vehicles and people are all over the place.

What about for folks who are home bound and they don't have the ability to get out, is the- - Yeah.

- Go ahead, I'm sorry.

- Yeah, that does present a very big challenge, and it's difficult for food pantries who are primarily manned by volunteers to get out there and make those home deliveries.

But we do have some pantries that are making that effort and recruiting volunteers specifically for that need to make sure that they're able to deliver and take meals and food pantry staples to folks who are home bound.

- And Jennifer, who are your volunteers?

You mentioned that, what kind of folks volunteer?

- Oh, gosh, all kinds of folks volunteer.

I mean, I'd say retired folks fill the biggest volunteer role in our work.

But we do get a lot of students and younger individuals, college students, anybody who's out there looking to make a difference, you know, there's always a way that we can find to put their skills to use.

- And speaking of access, again, Cara, our producers are telling me in our chat that the Community FoodBank of New Jersey has partnered with DoorDash to deliver to seniors.

Talk about that.

- Yeah, that's correct.

We currently have a grant with Project DoorDash.

This is another project that we have in South Jersey where we have identified seniors who have mobility or transportation needs that, you know, prohibit them from coming to access a traditional pantry model.

So we are working with DoorDash to pack food boxes and then deliver them to the doorsteps of seniors who need that food.

- Awesome, by the way, the websites of every organization continues to be up, go on those websites to find out more.

Begum, let me ask you this, during the break, we were talking about food waste.

What are we talking about here?

- Yeah, so specifically here at JFS, we do participate with our food rescue program with local grocery stores and also local farms.

And really, this is to help redistribute out their surplus items, you know, to us as a pantry, which then we then directly distribute out to our neighbors in need.

And so it really allows for the grocery stores to not waste, but to give back.

And we as a pantry take it in and try to give it out as fast as we can.

And it also supports our own grocery stores, our local stores as well as the farms here in South Jersey.

- What is, quote, unquote, "food rescue"?

Is that what Begum's talking about?

Begum, is that what it is?

- Well, yeah, so instead of it getting chucked at the end of the shelf life or at the end of the shift, for example, we take it in as a source.

I believe the Community FoodBank in New Jersey, I'm sure, Replenish also does the same, is we take it in so that we can then distribute it out, you know, as fast as we can so it doesn't get chucked in the trash.

- But Jennifer, that's an issue not for individuals, like people watching, the next question I'm gonna ask, is about how people, individuals can help.

That's not for individuals, 'cause people are not saving food or salvaging food or rescuing food that the family has eaten, but some is left.

You're not talking about leftovers, you're talking about stores that have excess food.

Jennifer, pick up the point.

- Yeah, exactly.

You know, our staff is out daily at large retailers, warehouses.

We get donations from truckers with product that is, you know, too close to its best use to sell, and so that it's picked up and donated.

So we get a lot of meat, dairy, and produce and bakery items from these retailers that we're able to redistribute to our pantries and get it into the hands of our neighbors.

- Cara, pick up that point.

- Exactly to what they're saying, I think one thing that the food bank has really been working to do is make those direct connections between retailers and pantries.

Because, again, when we think about the shelf life of perishable products, it is in the, you know, most benefit.

And also when we talk about nutrition.

Higher nutrition value, when we can get fresh product, directly to the consumer.

And so the food bank has really worked to, instead of taking one of our trucks, bringing it to a grocery store or wholesaler, picking up that food, taking it back to the warehouse, we are making connections between these retail partners at our pantries so that they can go directly pick up and again, get that product quickly turned out to the community to provide more variety and quality product.

- In the time we have left, I wanna talk about tangible actions people can take to make a difference, Cara say, someone says, "Look, my family's okay," or "We're struggling," right?

Economic tough times for everyone.

Make the case as to, A, why people should care and try to make a difference for others who are struggling even more than they may be, especially as it relates to food insecurity and then how, Kara?

- You know, there's a very, kind of, shocking statistic from the Federal Reserve that over 40% of Americans don't have $400 of savings in case of an emergency.

I think that this reality, that there is such a thin line between, you know, somebody, and we saw this during the pandemic, between a family who is doing okay and maybe a volunteer at a pantry or maybe a donor who suddenly has a health crisis, has a car breakdown, loses a job, and finds themself on that other side of needing assistance.

And I think when, you know, we think about, "Well, that's a them problem maybe," but it's an everyone problem and everyone should be very, you know, aware that, again, when we think about who is getting help.

It can happen to anyone.

And so I think, again, just having this awareness and empathy towards people who are accessing food is so important.

- Let's talk about the how now.

Begum, let may ask you, is a financial contribution the best way to make a difference from your perspective?

- I mean, I don't know what the best way, but I think honestly any way is- - Okay, let's talk about the ways.

Obviously, you could write a- Obviously, you can go on your website and each one of you has a website where people can contribute directly, correct?

- Yeah.

- Yes.

- Okay, we'll talk about that.

Begum, what does a financial contribution to your organization do for the folks you serve in South Jersey?

And particularly, in Atlantic and Cape May counties?

Go ahead.

- Yeah, I mean, one, we have an abundance amount of supports ranging from our agency donors to community supports to students in local schools.

But when folks come in, they're able to see firsthand experience, you know, what it is that they're actually packaging or getting the truck ready, or I'm filling these order tickets, then getting to engage with the folks who come in.

And so not only is it important for us to utilize their time, but also then it's word of mouth.

And, you know, volunteers know people who know people, and Jennifer's point, bulk of it is retiree.

So, you know, they wanna bring in more people.

And so it's just effective.

It's an effective use of time with the way volunteerism works as far as pantries go.

- Got 30 seconds left, Jennifer, make the case.

- Absolutely, Replenish is part of Middlesex County government and we have a nonprofit partner called Feeding Middlesex County.

This private-public partnership is very effective in that the county provides our staff, our warehouse space, all the administrative oversight.

So all the funds and money that's raised by Feeding Middlesex County truly allows us to purchase the most high need items like meat, dairy, and produce.

And that's what we're doing to supplement and get first quality stuff, well, to supplement the gleaning that we do from the local retailers to ensure high quality, fresh, nutritious foods are getting into the hands of our neighbors.

- Cara, a few seconds left, money matters, doesn't it?

- Yes, absolutely, and we encourage anybody to donate food, funds.

For every dollar that we raise, we can turn that into three meals.

Donate time by volunteering or donate your voice, contacting your elected officials, getting your voice heard about these matters.

- That's why the websites of each one of these organizations have been up.

We'll continue to do programming and cooperation with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey and other affiliates around food insecurity.

It's not a one-off, "Hey, we did that program."

It's an ongoing public education awareness.

And in some cases, yeah, advocacy for those who are struggling and suffering.

And I cannot thank our panel of experts who deal every day in the trenches with the issue of food insecurity.

Thank you so much.

On behalf of everyone on our team, we wishing you and your families all the best in these challenging times.

I'm Steve Adubato, we'll see you next time.

- [Narrator] Think Tank with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by NJM Insurance Group.

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

Valley Bank.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

PSEG Foundation.

The Turrell Fund, a foundation serving children.

The North Ward Center.

Holy Name.

And by Stockton University.

Promotional support provided by BestofNJ.com.

And by CIANJ, and Commerce Magazine.

- (Narration) Healing is never just about medicine and technology.

It has to go further than that.

It has to combine science with humanity.

It has to be our best medicine, combined with large doses of empathy, kindness, dignity and respect.

It has to be delivered by people who love what they do and who they do it for.

Holy Name.

Great medicine, soul purpose.