Atlantic City's seniors with food access challenges will get some help via a grant that joins the Community FoodBank of New Jersey and DoorDash.
The FoodBank received nearly a half-million dollars from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority through the Atlantic City Food Security Grant Program.
The funds will be used to address food access challenges experienced by senior residents of Atlantic City through an innovative home delivery project, in partnership with DoorDash’s Project DASH.
The project will expand the reach and impact FoodBank's efforts to feed seniors in Atlantic City by delivering fresh produce and nonperishable staples directly to their homes. More than 500 food insecure seniors will receive two boxes per month of grant-funded fresh and nonperishable food delivered via DoorDash.
“Seniors and Atlantic City residents are populations for whom food insecurity is a tremendous challenge,” said Elizabeth McCarthy, president and CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. “We’re grateful that this funding from the NJEDA will allow us to launch a program that fits in with our efforts to tailor our work to the unique needs of the different communities and demographics we serve.”
Sufficient access to healthy, fresh food is a well-known challenge for residents of Atlantic City, where the food insecurity rate is 22 percent – higher than the county rate of 15.1 percent, and more than twice the statewide estimate.
Atlantic City also is considered a food desert — a community with limited access to affordable, nutritious foods.
Nearly 6,000 Atlantic City residents are older than 65, according to the U.S. Census 2020 data. More than 35 percent have incomes at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty line. Limited financial resources, health concerns, and lack of reliable transportation are several factors that put seniors at significantly higher risk of food insecurity and diet-related chronic diseases.
Since 2018, DoorDash’s Project DASH has partnered with hundreds of food banks and food pantries across the country to deliver more than 100 million meals to people experiencing food insecurity.
“DoorDash is proud to partner with the Community FoodBank of New Jersey to deliver groceries to Atlantic City seniors experiencing food insecurity,” said Daniel Riff, head of Government and Nonprofit Operations, DoorDash Drive. “Home delivery ensures that charitable food can reach seniors and other people experiencing food insecurity — overcoming barriers like access to transportation, food deserts, and physical limitations. We’re excited that the NJEDA is supporting this crucial work so the public, private, and nonprofit sectors can leverage the best of what each of us does to expand food access.”
Following a planning and enrollment period, CFBNJ expects to launch the program in the coming months.
