Five N.J. food banks share $147,000 from U.S.

More than $147,000 in federal block grant funds has been distributed by the Christie administration to five major New Jersey food banks, state officials said Tuesday.

About $20,000 of it has been directed to the Food Bank of South Jersey in Camden, Burlington, Gloucester, and Salem Counties.

Twenty percent of the allocations to the food banks is for "Jersey Fresh" fruits and vegetables, officials said.

The effort was announced Tuesday by state Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Lori Grifa and state Department of Agriculture Secretary Douglas Fisher at the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank in Ewing, Mercer County.

"By working together, the Christie administration is giving a healthy boost to people facing hard times," Grifa said.

The funding became available through the DCA Division of Housing and Community Resources' administration of the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG), a federal antipoverty block grant. The amount provided to each county depends on its poverty-level designation.

"Every citizen deserves to have access to Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables, and the CSBG funding will increase the availability of these products, grown locally by New Jersey farmers, at the 793 food pantries, soup kitchens, and homeless shelters around the state," he said.

Department of Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez said the food banks played an important role in providing sustenance to the indigent and working poor.

"The state's food banks serve as a safety net for many financially and food-insecure families in New Jersey," Velez said.

To locate a local soup kitchen or food pantry, search online at www.endhungernj.org or go to www.nj211.org

Contact staff writer Edward Colimore at 856-779-3833 or ecolimore@phillynews.com.