United Community Corp. opens UCC Cafe – NJ.com

United Community Corp. held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to introduce the UCCafé Mobile Feeding program at the nonprofit agency’s administrative office in the West Ward on Thursday.

UCC’s latest innovative program to address food insecurity in the City of Newark and Essex County converted a food truck into the UCCafé, which will serve prepared and packaged meals directly to those in need of food assistance.

The program was made possible by CSBG Cares Act Rapid-Cycle Impact Project funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and sponsorship from Amerigroup and the Presbytery of Northeast New Jersey. The Community FoodBank of New Jersey “provided guidance and support to aid this project.”

United Community Corp. also celebrated the opening of its second community refrigerator, which is located on the stoop of UCC’s administrative office at 332 South 8th St. The community refrigerator project was made possible by support and funding from Amerigroup, the New Jersey Children’s Foundation, the Presbytery of Northeast New Jersey, Newark Opportunity Youth Network, and Partners In Health.

“I’m absolutely excited for the launch of these programs but I’m even more excited for the reaction that the community will have knowing that there are opportunities and resources close to them that are there to address their specific needs,” UCC executive director Craig Mainor said. “I’m excited to be able to do this, but I’m more excited to see the reaction for those who are able to benefit from this.”

Both projects operate with the goal of providing “new, innovative ways” for people to receive food by meeting them where they are.

The UCCafe operates with the flexibility to bring food directly to where and when it is needed most. Meals are cooked and pre-packaged at a kitchen on 19th Avenue and delivered to the community by the truck. This service caters to UCC’s senior clients and shelter guests and will soon be made available to partners and others in need of assistance. The UCCafe looks just like a regular food truck; the only difference is that everything is free.

The community refrigerators are located directly in the community giving residents accessibility whenever they need food. Trader Joe’s, ShopRite, Aldi, the Community FoodBank of New Jersey and MEND Hunger Relief provide support through donations to help both of these projects.

Battling food insecurity and at a larger level poverty is no easy task and UCC is thankful to work with such dedicated partners like Amerigroup, the Presbytery of Northeast New Jersey, the New Jersey Children’s Foundation, Newark Opportunity Youth Network and Partners in Health.

“Amerigroup recognizes the integral link between hunger and its impact on overall health, so we have long been a champion of efforts that remove food access barriers and effectively address food insecurity,” said Amerigroup regional vice president, State Affairs Patrick Gillespie. “It is an honor to align ourselves with UCC and collaborators of the UCCafe and community refrigerator projects, as well as have the opportunity to play a key role in improving lives and communities across our state.”

In February, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) released a list of the state’s top 50 designated community food deserts. All five wards of Newark ranked in the top eight of that list.

United Community Corp. and its partners are dedicated to helping address these food deserts with innovative plans like the UCC Cafe and community refrigerators. UCC introduced its first refrigerator in January at the Presbytery of Northeast New Jersey’s Wolff Memorial Presbyterian in the East Ward (106 Ann St.). Since January the community refrigerator project has served more than 6,000 meals.

“This is a beautiful day,” Community Ministry Organizer Elder Jerome B. Lane Jr. said. “The fact that the community refrigerator project and UCC Cafe project are officially operating makes me so happy. I could not be happier for this community and every community that is going to be positively impacted by the work that we are going to do together.”

Two refrigerators is just the beginning of UCC’s community refrigerator initiative. Thanks to funding from Partners in Health, Amerigroup, the New Jersey Children’s Foundation, and the Presbytery of Northeast New Jersey – and support from Clinton Hill Community Action – UCC is in the process of adding two more refrigerators to address more of Newark’s food deserts. The refrigerators will be accessible to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week and protected by a wooden structure built by UCC’s YouthBuild construction students.

“I can speak from experience in saying that Newark is a wonderful city to live in and raise your family,” New Jersey Children’s Foundation director of external affairs Galen Johnson said. “Each ward has its own history and unique characteristics, but an unfortunate common thread that exists in every ward is the challenge of food insecurity. UCC, with the help of some willing partners, has really taken the lead on pushing to expand the community refrigerator program to each ward of Newark. I think years from now we’ll be able to look back on this initiative and see the positive impact it had on those in need.”