NJ Farmers Cooperative serves the Community with support from NJEDA. The New Jersey Farmers Cooperative (NJFC) has completed work on a follow-on grant from the NJEDA's Sustain and Serve NJ Program, which allocates funding to organizations to purchase meals from New Jersey-based restaurants that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This program was created because the COVID-19 pandemic impacted restaurants and their employees harder than almost any other industry. The grant was provided through the NJEDA's Sustain & Serve NJ Program. Barbra Hamilton Bray Wilde, Executive Director of the NJ Farmers Cooperative, announced that the work has been completed! Over 350,000 meals have been made and delivered throughout New Jersey as a result of the hard work of volunteers and partnerships with local charities that provide services to the underserved residents in the state. The New Jersey Farmers Cooperative had the pleasure of partnering with organizations such as: the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, The Branches Center of Rio Grande, and local school districts. Community volunteers and Willow Creek Winery stepped up to prepare and distribute these meals. It is projects like these that make the NJ Farmers Cooperative a vital addition to the communities in Southern New Jersey and beyond.

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey’s annual Blue Jean Ball on June 12 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark raised $1.6 million, the equivalent of 4.8 million meals, as the gala marked the culmination of the foodbank’s 50th anniversary year.The $1.6 million raised topped the foodbank’s goal of $1.57 million.The Blue Jean Ball helps The Community FoodBank of New Jersey to raise funds needed for the foodbank to continue its work of distributing food and providing long-term supportive solutions when funding cuts and federal policy changes may impact the foodbank and those it helps.The 2025 Blue Jean Ball served as the capstone of Community FoodBank of New Jersey’s year-long 50th anniversary celebration. Five decades ago, Kathleen DiChiara first began distributing food from her station wagon in downtown Newark. Since then, the foodbank has evolved into New Jersey’s largest anti-hunger, anti-poverty organization.The event featured special entertainment by The Big Little Band featuring Mark Rivera — saxophonist for Billy Joel and musical director for Ringo Starr — joined by Neil “The Dude” Pawley and Chris Anderson from Southside Johnny’s horn section. The event’s cocktail hour and dessert partners included the foodbank’s Culinary Team (Stone Soup Culinary Creations and Food Service Training Academy), Harvest Restaurant Group, and the NJPAC Catering Team.The Blue Jean Ball event chairs included Lyn & Dan Cregg, Jen & Chuck Salzman, and Roby & Josh Weinreich.“Our 50th anniversary Blue Jean Ball was both a celebration of what we’ve achieved and a call to action for the future,” said Elizabeth McCarthy, president and CEO of the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. “With one in nine New Jerseyans — including one in seven children — facing food insecurity, our mission has never been more urgent. We’re inspired by the generosity and hope our community brings to this effort year after year