Goodbye, food pantry line: Newark's fight against hunger looks more like a grocery store

The vibes have changed at a long-standing food pantry in Newark's West Ward.

Gone are the long lines that stretched down the block from a small single-story building on South 18th Street on the third Wednesday of each month, when hundreds of residents would wait patiently in all kinds of weather for prepacked bags of groceries.

The take-it-or-leave-it, grab-bag approach has been replaced with brightly lit aisles of fresh produce, frozen foods, and staples like rice and beans. The United Community Corporation, a Newark-based nonprofit, transformed the space to operate more like a grocery store, allowing people to pick and choose their own food and other products free of charge.

Its new name? The Market at UCC.

Organizers say the revamped model treats people with more respect and serves their needs better than the old system, which often left them with items they didn’t need.

City leaders say grocery-style food pantries and pay-what-you-can markets will soon roll out across Newark’s neighborhoods, where food insecurity is rising as new federal policies on SNAP benefits have shrunk the number of people who receive assistance.

Barbara Ross, a West Ward resident, pushed a small shopping cart through The Market in late July, three weeks after it opened. She’d visited before when it was a traditional food pantry. This was her first time since the makeover.

“It's nice,” Ross said. “You get to pick what you need or what you want, rather than them packing bags and giving it to you, because you get a lot of stuff that you don't really use.”

Ross perused two aisles lined with apples, grapes, potatoes and greens. Refrigerators and freezers offered a variety of perishables.

A space in the back is set aside for children, with a library and art supplies to keep them entertained while their parents stock up.

Maria Torres, UCC’s director of food assistance, said the food and other products come from local food banks or are donated by grocery stores like Stop & Shop and Trader Joe’s. And she said UCC has already garnered attention far beyond the West Ward.

"I'm seeing Passaic, Paterson, Elizabeth coming here because the more we put it out there and they see the facility, like pictures, they want to come here,” Torres said.

Craig Mainor, executive director of UCC, called the change “long overdue.”

“In the past, shamefully, we would just pack up food and hand it to folks,” he said. “This new model actually gives the family, the individual, an opportunity to shop for themselves, but also feel like they're making choices about their own health and wellness and nutrition.”

Food pantries are personal for Torres. She said she was once homeless while caring for two children with disabilities.

“Once upon a time, I was in their shoes. So I take my job really serious,” Torres said. “ I'm here to listen, help you with your burden, and give back dignity back that is well-deserved for everybody.”

City Councilmember Lawrence Crump said community markets like UCC’s are “extremely important” to addressing Newark’s food deserts.

“This allows a lot of the residents who don't have the ability to go all the way to a ShopRite or another store, and don't necessarily have the resources, to come down here to one of these facilities and get groceries,” Crump said.

All five of Newark’s wards are ranked in the top 10 of the state’s most severe food deserts, according to analysis by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

“This helps us fight that,” said City Councilmember Dupre Kelly, who represents the West Ward. He said the market “puts food into the homes of not just West Warders, but Newarkers.”

Shopping trips work by appointment. Clients are allowed to visit once a month. UCC asks that people register with the organization. Visitors are also given information about additional resources that may help with other challenges they are facing.

“Chances are if you're hungry, you've also maybe fallen behind on your rent or your utilities are behind,” said Sarah Allen, UCC’s program director for emergency services. “It just offers us a chance to show the other services that we have to offer them as well.”

Allen said the UCC’s new grocery store-style approach follows the lead of programs like the CUMAC Market in Paterson, and the Garfield Unity Pantry.

“ I did some pretty extensive touring around, especially in North Jersey, the different ones that offer choice-based options, and improvised it a little for our space,” Allen said. “Made it a lot more welcoming and more of a community feel.”

Similar markets are set to open in each of Newark’s five wards later this year and will be operated by various nonprofits, including Clinton Hill Community Action — which already operates Our Community Grocery Store in the South Ward — and La Casa de Don Pedro.

Newark City Hall’s press office would not make any officials available for interviews about the effort, or respond to a request for comment. Mayor Ras Baraka touted the coming community grocery stores during his State of the City address in April.

“I remember flipping on dirty mattresses in empty parking lots, and seeing a school bus on bricks in front of the projects that served as the local store,” Baraka said in the speech. “Damn it, that’s why I’m building free and mutual aid grocery stores.”

The need has become more pressing in recent months, after federal policy changes made it more difficult for people to qualify for SNAP benefits. Federal rules now require SNAP recipients to work or volunteer each month in order to qualify for benefits. The rules apply to anyone ages 18 to 64 who does have a medical or disability exemption.

More than 35,000 New Jerseyans have lost SNAP benefits since the work rules took effect, according to the state Department of Human Services. Some have struggled to find work or volunteer opportunities, including homeless recipients and the chronically unemployed. The new rules also require recipients to continually document and report their work history. Opponents of the requirements say the increased paperwork poses a barrier to people being able to keep their benefits.

Essex County, home to Newark, has seen 1,275 residents lose SNAP in August alone — the most of any county.

Allen said it’s put pressure on groups like UCC to both meet the demands of rising food insecurity, and provide more volunteer work to help people meet the SNAP requirements.

“ We've seen a big increase in interest in volunteering, just so they can meet their criteria to get their SNAP benefits back,” Allen said. “Our lines are long every single day, which is, unfortunately, the reality that's facing a lot of families in Newark right now.”

Karen Yi contributed reporting.