Impact100 Essex awards $120,000 grant to MEND at annual meeting

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Impact100 Essex awarded its third annual grant to Meeting Essential Needs with Dignity, a network of 20 food pantries throughout Essex County, at its annual meeting held at Seton Hall University. MEND received a $120,000 grant that will enable the nonprofit organization to source, store and transport fresh produce to its food pantry network. Three other nonprofits were finalists for the award; each will receive a $10,000 leverage grant to support their work in the county.

“With this grant, MEND will now be able to deliver substantially more fresh and healthy food to pantries and people living with the highest food insecurity rates in New Jersey,” MEND Executive Director Robin Peacock said. “We are thrilled to have the funds to build a fresh food hub that will streamline and innovate the way families, children and individuals in our community access the nutritious food they need.”

“It’s gratifying to award our third grant to MEND and know the funds will benefit entire families in Essex County,” said Mayuri Chandra, co-head of the grants committee of Impact100 Essex. 

“We’re also very gratified that our membership grew in 2019, so we are able to award the other finalists a leverage grant. All of these nonprofits do very important and impactful work in Essex County. They all put forth inspiring and transformational project proposals. The Impact100 Essex membership is extremely pleased that we are able to support all of these organizations,” said Kate Shoemaker, co-head of the grants committee. 

The three nonprofits in receipt of the $10,000 leverage grants are Hetrick-Martin Institute of New Jersey, Imagine: A Center for Coping with Loss and Volunteer Lawyers for Justice.

Margo Greenfield, co-convener of Impact100 Essex, said, “We’re proud that in three years we’ve awarded $400,000 to leverage the ambitions of local nonprofits dreaming big and ready to launch impact programs. Our members are dedicated to this work and our goal continues to inspire more women to join our mission.”

The Impact100 Essex grant is funded by gifts of $1,000 per member, per year. The organization holds information sessions throughout the winter and spring to establish the grant funding for the year. For more information and to receive details on upcoming sessions, visit www.Impact100Essex.org or send an email to membership@impact100essex.org.

  Grants, Impact100 Essex, MEND, Volunteer Lawyers for Justice