PHILLIPSBURG, NJ (Warren County) – As part of his 2022 Jersey Summer Road Trip, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) Tuesday visited Norwescap Food Bank in Warren County to announce a $1,050,000 congressionally directed spending (CDS) grant award he secured for the organization.
Norwescap will use the funding to increase its capacity to distribute food by 33 percent and build a new, more modern facility.
Norwescap is one of the largest food banks in New Jersey and receives food through federal and state funding, private donations, and partnerships with supermarkets and private organizations. It currently distributes nearly 1.7 million meals annually and also provides financial literacy, employment, housing, nutrition, and other services to people in Warren, Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, and Sussex Counties. There are more than 62,000 people living below the poverty line within Norwescap’s service area, and 120,000 households that struggle to cover basic expenses.
“For so many food-insecure and low-income people, Norwescap is a beacon of hope, offering daily meals as well as critical support services that put them on the path to achieving success,” Booker said. “I was proud to fight on behalf of this organization and secure more than $1 million in federal funding that will help Norwescap expand its vital operations and provide more than 800,000 more meals each year to people and families in need.”
“Having Senator Booker’s help to secure this grant opens up amazing opportunities for Norwescap to expand our efforts to fight hunger, but more importantly it will be life changing for the tens-of-thousands of people for whom we provide vital, life-sustaining support every year,” said Mark Valli, Chief Executive Officer of Norwescap. “Not one person in New Jersey—the Garden State—should ever go hungry, and thanks to the Senator’s support, Norwescap will be in a better position to make sure that we live up to that goal for the people of northwestern New Jersey.”
“USDA Rural Development works hand in hand with Norwescap, a key stakeholder and partner, to invest in and improve the quality of life for rural communities and residents in Northwest New Jersey,” said Jane Asselta, New Jersey State Director, USDA Rural Development. “NORWESCAP, as a non-profit, and USDA Rural Development, a Federal entity, each support food pantries and food access, educational programs that can lead to employment, financial literacy and affordable housing, healthcare delivery, and services for seniors and disabled individuals. I am proud to be here today to honor their accomplishments and their continued success as a champion for the underserved throughout our rural counties.”
Booker’s 2022 Jersey Summer Road Trip is a series of stops highlighting the priorities he continues to fight for in the U.S. Senate on behalf of the state’s residents. The road trip will focus on Booker’s ongoing commitment to serving New Jersey’s veterans, his efforts to secure congressionally directed spending for critical New Jersey projects and organizations, and his support of local businesses and industries, among other things.
