Princeton’s Share My Meals Gets $25K Grant For Community Food Program

PRINCETON, NJ – Share My Meals, the nonprofit located in Princeton, will help underserved children in the Princeton area to have better access to nutritious food, thanks to a community grant from the Burke Foundation.

The Burke Foundation, headquartered in Princeton, awarded a $25,000 community grant to Share My Meals.

The nonprofit will provide seasonal fresh produce, pre-packaged food, eggs, and baked goods as well as recovered meals weekly to families involved in Princeton Nursery School and YWCA Princeton.

“We’re excited to support this new partnership with Share My Meals so more children and families can have nutritious meals to support their health and growth during a critical window of early childhood development,” said Atiya Weiss, Executive Director of the Burke Foundation. “We appreciate that parents can pick up the food at a place they already visit regularly.”

The Burke Foundation invests in transformative early childhood initiatives to build a cycle of opportunity across generations. The Burke Foundation is aware that economic stressors on households, such as struggling to afford food, can undermine a family’s well-being.

Share My Meals recovers high-quality prepared food from large cafeterias, and other food service providers, that would otherwise go to waste. The available surplus food is packed in reusable containers and transported by Share My Meals volunteers to community partners.

The organization uses an innovative technology platform that ensures a smooth and safe journey for each recovered meal from its point of preparation to the final recipient.

“This partnership with the Burke Foundation will help Share My Meals expand to reach the families who need us most in our community,” said Hélène Lanctuit, CEO of Share My Meals. “We are thankful for the generosity of the Burke Foundation.”

The Burke Foundation grant will be used to enhance Share My Meals’ infrastructure to include refrigeration units at YWCA Princeton and at Princeton Nursery School to enable the organization to store and distribute food more efficiently.

The long-term goal is to grow the Share My Meals food donor network and make the initiative sustainable.

YWCA Princeton currently provides quality early childhood education to nearly 500 families through their programming at The Burke Foundation Early Childhood Center, the Universal PreK Program, and the After School Program in the Princeton Public School District.

Princeton Nursery School provides early childhood education and supportive wraparound services to ensure an equitable and enriching preschool experience for students and families in need.

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