Cooperative Brings Food to the Table for 1,200 Newark Seniors

In response to COVID-19, five organizations have developed an
emergency response and collaborative effort to address food insecurity
to Newark Seniors living in the Lincoln Park community senior
buildings. The Emergency Food Distribution System is an outgrowth of
the Sustainable Health and Wellness Village free three-day health
festival and will operate weekly starting April 2 continuing every
Thursday.

Five organizations have joined forces to bring nutritious and healthy
food to the tables of more than 1,200 Newark seniors starting this
week. CARESPARC Consulting, in conjunction with Table to Table, is
being joined by the Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District, the Greater
Newark Conservancy and the Grotta Fund to source and deliver food for
seniors living in five senior buildings in Newark.

According to Ilene Issacs of Table to Table, “Our no-cost fresh
produce market, opened last summer, has been providing consistent access
to healthier foods for the senior adults living in the Lincoln Park
neighborhood of Newark. With so many restrictions placed on this
population since the onset of Covid-19, we’ve been determined to ensure
that in the least the fresh produce they have grown to rely on would
continue. Along with the gratification of knowing that the nutritious
food so desperately needed will again be in the kitchens of Lincoln
Park’s older adults, comes the tremendous joy of working together with
so many outstanding organizations and people in this community who are
motivated simply by the desire to do good and help one another.”

The nutritious food is primarily fresh produce and other food items
as well. The Fresh Produce Distribution System is managed and
coordinated by CareSparc Consulting, Inc., who working alongside Table
to Table has been providing nutritious food to these same senior
buildings in Newark since August 2019. CareSparc also managed the Free
Pop-Up Senior Fresh Produce Market, which has led to the Covid-19
Emergency Food Distribution System.

According to Keith DaCosta, Managing Director of CareSparc
Consulting, “The pandemic resulted in CareSparc and Table to Table
expanding our partners in order to serve more people than our original
Pop-Up project. The expansion resulted in Greater Newark Conservancy
who has years of experience in fresh produce production and delivery,
joining the team, along with the Lincoln Park Coast Cultural and the
Grotta Fund.

According to Robin Dougherty, Executive Director of Greater Newark
Conservancy, their headquarters, located on Prince Street will serve as
the drop off point for pallets of food. The food will then be packaged
there for delivery to five senior buildings. Jersey Cares is providing
volunteers for the new cooperative.

"In light of the unprecedented time our nation is facing, and in
keeping with the Center For Disease Control's clinical expertise that
tells us older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying
medical conditions might be at higher risk for severe illness from
COVID-19, it is our duty at Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District to
continue our Senior Fresh Produce Market Program. Thank you to all of
our Emergency Response Collaborative Effort partners, especially Mayor
Ras J. Baraka, The City of Newark and all agencies, Central Ward
Councilwoman LaMonica McIver and Council Member At-Large Luis A.
Quintana for their ongoing partnership and support in providing fresh
food to nearly 1,200 seniors at five senior buildings in the Lincoln
Park Community,” added Anthony Smith, Executive Director - Lincoln Park
Coast Cultural District.

The nutritious foods are designated for the following buildings -
Essex Plaza, Roberto Clemente Shalom Towers, Lincoln Park Towers, Court
Towers Apartment, and Nevada Street Towers Apartment.

Ms. Dougherty said, “The Conservancy has a broad focus on the health
of the community from nutrition programming to operating the largest
urban farm in New Jersey. We have been engaged with Newark Seniors in
distributing fresh produce from our farm to cooking and nutrition
programs for the past five years so this was a logical partnership to
join.”

The Emergency Response to Food Insecurity is also in partnership with
Mayor Ras J. Baraka and the City of Newark, Vice President of the
Newark City Council and Councilman-at-Large Luis A. Quintana, Central
Ward Councilwoman LaMonica McIver, the Newark Department of Health &
Community Wellness, Jersey Cares, the New Jersey Reentry Cooperation,
the Urban Agriculture Cooperative and the UPS Store.