Division of Food & Nutrition


The Division of Food & Nutrition
strives to provide healthyfarmers market photo food access to all residents of Jersey City.

Our programs and services include:

  • Home-delivered senior meals program - Meals On Wheels

  • Senior congregate meals program 

  • Buy Fresh & Buy Local at city Farmers Market

  • Summer Meal Program for school-aged children

  • WIC (Women Infant and Children) Clinic Support

  • Healthy Greens JC Community Vertical Farm Program

Local Foods, Local Places Grant

The Division of Food and Nutrition was awarded one of thirteen USDA and EPA grants, Local Foods - Local Places, in 2021 to focus on Jersey City's Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood.

Read the full report and Action Plan here.  

Food Donations or Food Rescue

If you have a food donation or rescue opportunity you need assistance with or would like to donate, then complete
this form.

MEALS-ON-WHEELS

meals on wheels photo

The Meals on Wheels program is available to homebound or bedridden seniors who cannot provide for their own nutritional needs. Meals are delivered to homes every week by a team of dedicated staff.

          Apply online here

Alternatively, you can download and print the APPLICATION. Once its completed you can mail to the address below.

Martin Luther King Jr. City Hall Annex
Attention Meals On Wheels
1 Jackson Square
Jersey City, NJ 07305

(201) 547-6809
8am-4pm Mon-Fri

John Hanussak, Project Supervisor

SENIOR LUNCH PROGRAM
The senior lunch Program (Congregate Meals) provides hot and nutritious lunches to seniors 60 and over in group setting. We invite seniors to come to one of our 10 lunch sites throughout Jersey City for a fresh, farm to table meal by local restaurant Whealth Kitchen.
Lunch is served 11:30AM-1PM, Monday-Friday.

Click this link to fill out the Intake Form Online

For more information, contact Svjetlana Jovanovic, RDN, Program Manager, [email protected] 551-256-2314

New* In collaboration with the Division of Senior Affairs, senior classes will be offered including Tai Chi, Meditation, Yoga, Aerobics, and Chess. Please click the locations to view each flier.

LOCATIONS

Lafayette Senior Living Center
463 Pacific Ave
Naomi, 201-395-0909

Berry Gardens
92 Danforth Avenue
Marilyn, 201-706-4745, 201-435-9700

Boyd McGuiness
2555 Kennedy Boulevard
Sandra, 201-434-2227

Grace Senior Center
39 Erie Street
Joyce Davison, 201-659-2211

Holland Gardens
241 16 Street
Office 201-296-2118 

Joseph Connors Senior Center
28 Paterson Street
Gina Martinelli, 201-420-7602

Maureen Collier Senior Center
335 Bergen Avenue
Cynthia Holloway, 201-957-5557

Villa Borinquen (PACO)
398 Grove Street
Ximena (Senior Lunch Aid), 201-600-5292


SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM
The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) or Summer Meals is a federally-funded, state-administrated program. Summer Meals ensures that children and teens continue to receive nutritious meals even when schools are not in session. Under the Department of Health & Human Services, Division of Food & Nutrition, free healthy breakfast and lunch meals are provided to children and teens 18 years of age and younger. 

If you are a church, organization, school, library, daycare, summer program, block association, sports program, etc. and interested in providing children and teens with the nutritious breakfast and lunch meals over the summer, please complete the 2024 JC Summer Meals Site Interest Form.
 
Please contact Morgan Spann, MPA, Deputy Director, Division of Food & Nutrition at [email protected] / 201-547-5289 with any questions.

FARMERS MARKETS - BUY FRESH/BUY LOCAL

farmers market photoJersey City Farmers Markets are a great way for farmers to provide fresh and local products to customers. Local products are more sustainable as they are fresher, lasts longer, and tastes better. To ensure equitable access to fresh produce, all markets are required by City ordinance to accept WIC, SNAP, EBT, Senior vouchers, and WIC vouchers.

MARKET LOCATIONS

Historic Downtown Farmers' Market OPEN
Grove Street Path Plaza & the Newark Pedestrian Mall 07302
Year-Round
Winter Market, Thursdays 3 PM - 7 PM 
WIC, SNAP/EBT & FMNP

Van Vorst Park Farmers' Market OPEN
281 Montgomery Street 07302
Year-Round 
Winter Market, Saturday 9 AM - 1 PM 
WIC, SNAP/EBT & FMNP

 Journal Square Green Market Closed
New location: Magnolia Landing-136 Magnolia Ave 07306
May - Nov Tuesday 3 PM - 7 PM
WIC, SNAP/EBT & FMNP

Riverview Farmers' Market Closed
498 Palisade Avenue (Riverview-Fisk Park) 07307
May - November  
Sunday 10 AM - 2 PM 
WIC, SNAP/EBT & FMNP

Paulus Hook Farmers Market OPEN
158 Washington Street (Korean Veterans Memorial)  07302
Year-Round
Saturday 9 AM - 2 PM
WIC, SNAP/EBT & FMNP

Hamilton Park Farmers' Market Closed
8th Street & Jersey Avenue 07302
May - December
Wednesday 4 PM - 7 PM 
WIC, SNAP/EBT & FMNP

Lincoln Park Farmers' Market Closed
Corner of West Side Ave & Belmont Ave 07304
June - October
Sunday 10 AM - 2 PM 
WIC, SNAP/EBT & FMNP

Click here to see the New Jersey Seasonality Chart

Buy Fresh & Buy Local

farmers market photo

Jersey City farmers markets are open through December, please bring a reusable shopping bag. WIC, Senior FMNP and SNAP/EBT are accepted. 

Five Steps to starting a Farmers' Market

  1. Non-profit organizations should send an email to the Jose Vargas, Healthy Food Access Coordinator at [email protected] with the Farmers’ Market proposal including layout/site map. Your organization will be sent the City’s COVID-19 Guidelines and contacted about scheduling a virtual meeting with the Healthy Food Access Coordinator and Division Director of Food and Nutrition.
  2. After a successful meeting, the organization will be able to contact Cultural Affairs to request a link via the DocuSign platform to the Special Events application.
  3. After Cultural Affairs has approved the application, you can complete and submit a Vendor List Form
  4. After the Division Director and Healthy Food Access Coordinator approve the vendors list, it will be sent to the Bureau of Licensing for appropriate permits.
  5. Once the permits are received by market managers, the Farmers’ Market can open.
CERTIFIED FOOD PANTRY PROGRAM

food pantry photoOur certified food pantries provide safe fruits, vegetables, and pantry items to underserved families and individuals across Jersey City. To bolster and protect our community's health, we guide and support organizations to become certified food pantries. We have 15 accredited food pantries citywide. They partner with food rescue organizations for certifications such as the Community Food Bank of New Jersey (CFBNJ) or Table to Table. Our goal is to ensure all food pantries in Jersey City comply with food safety standards for distribution. If you or your non-profit would like to know if you qualify to partner with the CFBNJ, email [email protected] or for Table to Table, email [email protected] You can also complete their online forms or contact our Healthy Food Access Coordinator to get more information on joining our certified food pantry community, email [email protected]


CERTIFIED FOOD PANTRY LOCATIONS


The Sharing Place, 440-448 Hoboken Avenue

Our Lady of Sorrows - The Mary House, 93 Clerk Street

 Mt. Sinai Full Gospel Church, 27-53 Prescott Street

 Triangle Park Community Center, 247 Old Bergen Road

 George Pitchford Food Pantry, 509 Bramhall Avenue

At The Feet of Jesus Luke 1039, 273 Ocean Avenue

Cityline Church, 1510 Kennedy Blvd

Jerusalem Baptist Church, 106-8 Atlantic Street

Old Bergen Church, 1 Highland Avenue

St. Mary's Catholic Church, 254 2nd Street & Erie Street

Grace Community Services, 39 Erie Street

The Salvation Army, 562 Bergen Avenue

AngelaCARES, Inc. 696 Ocean Avenue

Mount Pisgah AME Church, 354 Forrest St.

St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, 85 Wayne Street

St. John's Lutheran Church, 155 North Street

HEALTHY GREENS JC COMMUNITY VERTICAL FARM PROGRAM
greens photoThis first-of-its-kind urban indoor vertical farm brings fresh leafy greens to underserved communities. Membership is limited per location and is first-come-first-serve – our first two beta sites launched in late 2021 at Curries Woods and Marion Gardens in partnership with the Jersey City Housing Authority. For more information click here.

This membership program provides –

  • Free leafy greens
  • Nutrition and cooking workshops
  • Holistic health tips
  • Diagnostic health screenings for one year