As part of RWJBarnabas Health’s Social Impact and Community Investment initiatives, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Somerset, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, has donated more than 4,100 surplus meals (5,100 pounds of food) from its cafeteria since February to support food insecure families in its community. The food is picked up from RWJUH Somerset twice a week by Share My Meals, a non-profit organization active across New Jersey, and distributed to Somerset County homeless shelters. Since the food was not sent to a landfill, the donations avoided 23,000 pounds in carbon dioxide emissions.
“Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset is committed to addressing food insecurity to promote the health of our community,” said Deirdre Blaus, Interim Chief Administrative Officer, RWJUH Somerset. “Working with Share My Meals has been such a wonderful collaboration. Our excess food is supporting families in need while also helping the environment.”
One of the recipients of RWJUH Somerset’s meals is HOME of Somerset County in Somerville, which provides housing and support services for at-risk families, including emergency shelter, transitional housing and independent living support.
“Food security is a human right,” said Alyssa Martini, executive director of HOME of Somerset County. “It means so much to our clients who have struggled to afford food for their families and many times have to worry when and where they will get their next meal. We are extremely grateful to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset for their generous meal donations.”
“Since the start of its Meal Recovery Program in October 2021, Share My Meals has recovered over 200,000 meals delivered to approximately 2,000 individuals weekly in New Jersey with the help of 150 active volunteers and 65 meal providers. Our partnership with Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset has enabled us to support many more families with nutritious meals in the Central New Jersey region,” said Hélène Lanctuit, CEO of Share My Meals. “We look forward to expanding our partnership with RWJBarnabas Health to reach more communities throughout New Jersey.”
The partnership between RWJBarnabas Health and Share My Meals was piloted at RWJUH Somerset in February of this year. In line with the health system’s mission to build and sustain a healthier New Jersey, the Share My Meals Program will be rolled out to all RWJBarnabas Health facilities in 2025.
In addition to its meal donations through Share My Meals, RWJUH Somerset also supported food insecure families this Thanksgiving season by donating 482 chickens and turkeys to local food pantries and homeless shelters. In addition, hospital employees donated grocery store gift cards for 97 families through an Adopt A Family Program coordinated with the Somerset County Social Services.
For more information about RWJUH Somerset and its Social Impact and Community Investment initiatives, visit www.rwjbh.org/somerset.
For more information about Share My Meals, visit www.sharemymeals.org.