JFCS Mobile Food Truck

What is The Mobile Food Truck Project?

The JFCS Mobile Food Truck will bring the resources of our pantry on the road to locations across Mercer County. At each location, we will park our fully-stocked truck and distribute groceries to those in need. The truck will be FREE, CHOICE FOOD PANTRY that aligns with our mission of empowering individuals to make informed choices and care for themselves.

Why are We Taking Our Pantry on the Road?

  • In Mercer County, almost 40,000 individuals face food insecurity, lacking consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life
  • 33% of food insecure individuals in Mercer County fall above the SNAP benefit line, but still lack sufficient resources & access to fresh, healthy food options
  • The number of older residents in NJ facing food insecurity is growing. Due to limitations in physical mobility and financial resources, they often are not able to access nutritious choices available in supermarkets
  • Public transportation options are not convenient for existing pantries outside of the Trenton city-center
  • Low-cost food options available at convenience stores, most accessible to populations in need, often lack fresh fruits & vegetables and varied, nutrient-rich options.

How Can You Help Get the Truck Rolling?

Over the next several months, our goal is to raise the funds to purchase our fully outfitted pantry truck and establish partners throughout the community as future truck sites. Founding sponsorship options are available and include recognition opportunities on the truck, on our website, pinned materials, social media, and more.

Looking for a way to contribute as a founder at a level not listed? Contact Helaine Isaacs at 609-987-8100 Ext. 104.

When to Call 911

Description: Seniors of Beth El Synagogue and JFCS present “When to Call 911.” When an emergency strikes, you can find yourself unsure of what to do, but knowing the basics of when to call 911 can keep you focused on the task at hand. Whether it’s accidental injury or sudden chest pains, do you know when to call 911? Join us for this interactive, educational lecture and learn when to call 911. This program will be led by Barbara Vaning, MHA, EMT Instructor, Penn Medicine Princeton. You’ll learn about what constitutes an emergency, what you need to tell the emergency dispatcher when you call, what to do if you cannot talk and what you can do while waiting for help to arrive.

Light refreshments will be served.

Date: Thursday March 14th at 1:00pm

Location: Beth El Synagogue (50 Maple Stream Road, East Windsor)

RSVP: To Beth Englezos at bethe@jfcsonline.org or 609-987-8100 ext. 126 by 3/8

JFCS Brings Help, Hope & Healing to Hightstown & East Windsor Communities

September 26, 2018 (Hightstown, NJ) – Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County (JFCS) proudly opened a new satellite office at 133 Main Street in Hightstown on Wednesday, September 26, 2018 to help youth in Crisis. The agency is now positioned to offer supportive services at a location convenient to the communities of East Windsor and Hightstown. Services will be targeted towards teens and young adults struggling with mental health concerns, those in need of stabilization and education for navigating these challenges, as well as serving as a bridge to a broad referral network of high-level services for substance abuse and acute mental health crises. “Our new location is an example of the JFCS commitment to sharing help, hope and healing to our broader community,” said Michelle Napell, Executive Director of JFCS. “Mental health challenges have come to the forefront of the national headlines this year, and it is more important than ever to recognize the need for support and education among our youth, in schools, and to parents.” The expansion into the East Windsor & Hightstown communities is funded by the County of Mercer Department of Human Services and supported by I.C.A.R.E of East Windsor-Hightstown (Initiative for Counseling, Addiction, Renewal & Education). Two years ago a group of concerned Hightstown and East Windsor residents voiced their concerns through structured focus groups and surveys over the lack of counseling services available in their community.  It became clear that this area was underserved and would benefit from community based support services that would include assessment, education and referral services. This coalition was the start of ICARE, the leadership of which then turned to JFCS for the expertise in mental health in order to deliver supportive services to the community. “The launch of the JFCS offices on Main Street is a testament to the strength of our community,” said Mayor Janice Mironov of East Windsor. “To see the efforts of concerned parents and educators come together with the professional resources of JFCS is remarkable and I look forward to seeing this partnership make a true difference for our community.” Services available at 133 Main Street will include:
  • Mental Health & Substance Abuse Stabilization Services
  • Crisis Case Management
  • On-going Support
  • Community Outreach & Education
  • Information & Referral
Office hours will be Monday through Thursday 2:00 – 7:00 PM. For those who wish to learn more about these services or make a referral may call 609-987-8100.

JFCS Takes It’s Food Pantry On The Road for Homebound Seniors

Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County is pleased to announce the new Healthy@Home Senior Nutrition Program, a non-sectarian initiative which provides low-income, homebound seniors with healthy food and nutrition information delivered directly to their door.  Healthy@Home is designed to increase food security among seniors in Mercer County.  Clients work with a geriatric care manager and a registered dietician to select foods that are healthy, easy to prepare and enjoyable. They can choose fresh fruits and vegetables, breads, poultry, frozen fish and chicken, frozen fruits and vegetables, canned goods, soups and more.  At least once a month, volunteers deliver the food along with nutrition information, recipes and food safety tips.

“We’re taking our food pantry on the road,” says Michelle Napell, Executive Director of JFCS.  “We have so many seniors in the community who are mostly homebound and have limited finances.  They aren’t able to get to the supermarket or our pantry.  They’re unable to carry grocery bags or even stand in the kitchen to prepare a meal.  Some even have to make difficult choices on whether to pay bills or buy food.  Others can’t afford the high cost of fresh fruits and vegetables and settle for cheaper, unhealthy alternatives.”  Healthy@Home will provide these vulnerable seniors with more access to healthy and nutritious food.

“We are increasingly hearing about how food equals medicine and this is a great way to proactively advocate for seniors in the community,” says Napell.  In fact, according to a Health Affairs study, “delivering meals to vulnerable sick people might be a simple way to cut back on emergency room visits and hospitalizations, reining in some of the costliest kinds of medical care. Low-income seniors or disabled younger people who received home-delivered meals — particularly meals designed by a dietitian for that person’s specific medical needs — had fewer emergency visits and lower medical spending than a similar group of people who did not receive meal deliveries.”

In addition to increasing food security, the Healthy@Home program encourages socialization and community connections for these homebound and isolated seniors by offering a Friendly Visitor.  Friendly Visitors spend meaningful time with these seniors, either chatting, playing games, working on puzzles, crafts and more.

One of our clients recently reported, “Thanks so much for the food delivery.  I can’t remember the last time I had a fresh apple.  They’re too heavy to carry home from the supermarket.”  Another said, “When the volunteers deliver my food, I really feel like they are my family.”

JFCS has been operating the Yvette Sarah Clayman Kosher Community Food Pantry since 1999.  The Pantry is choice-based and allows our clients to shop for their food instead of picking up a prepared bag.  This follows our philosophy of empowering clients to care effectively for themselves and others.  It is open to people of all denominations in Mercer County.

For more information on the Healthy@Home Senior Nutrition program, please contact Beth Englezos, Manager of Senior Programs & Hunger Prevention at bethe@jfcsonline.org or 609-987-8100, ext. 126.

 

 

JFCS receives 4-star Rating From Charity Navigator, Again!

Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County is proud to announce that we have received Charity Navigator’s top rating of 4 stars for the second year in a row!

Charity Navigator is an online rating system that donors can use to intelligently decide where their money is best directed. The 4-Star rating means that JFCS has passed a stringent vetting and has come out fulfilling all of the necessary requirements for the award.

A 4-star rating from Charity Navigator proves that JFCS is an exceptional charity and that we exceed industry standards and outperform most charities in our category. Thank you to the community and partner organizations that continue to make JFCS a thriving success!

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