Kean Secures $420K To Increase Food Bank Donation Capacity In Bridgewater

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — Bridgewater Township is among the local governments included in a new round of House funding bills, with a $420,000 Community Project Funding request for a cold food storage and food locker implementation project advancing in Congress.

Congressman Tom Kean Jr., who represents New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District, announced that 18 funding requests from his office totaling $17,765,906 were included in key House funding bills for the upcoming fiscal year.

According to the announcement, all six counties in the district are represented in the requests. The next step is for the bills to pass the House.

For Bridgewater, the included amount is $420,000 for a two-pronged effort to increase food bank donation capacity and provide targeted intervention in low-access areas.

According to the announcement, the project would fund the rental and maintenance of one cold storage unit and the purchase and maintenance of one food locker unit.

Bridgewater Township would work with the Food Bank Network of Somerset County on the project.

After purchase, installation, testing and staff training are complete, the cold storage and food locker units would be used by partner food pantries to better accept and distribute donations, specifically in low-access areas with transportation barriers to food pantry access.

The announcement states that the cold storage unit would create additional capacity to accept bulk donations from local farms, pantries and grocery retailers.

It also states that the food would benefit thousands of food-insecure individuals in Somerset County and support nonprofit organizations working on food insecurity.

"I fought to bring this federal funding home to New Jersey because our communities deserve a strong return on the tax dollars they send to Washington," said Kean. "These investments will improve roads and bridges, modernize water infrastructure, strengthen public safety, support our first responders, and help towns complete critical projects without placing the full burden on local property taxpayers. My focus will continue to be listening to residents, cutting through the Washington gridlock, and delivering resources that make our communities safer, stronger, and more affordable."

Community Project Funding allows members of Congress to request direct funding for projects benefiting their communities.

In April, Kean submitted 20 Community Project Funding requests to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration in five of the year’s funding bills.

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