Newark and HelloFresh Joined with No Kid Hungry Provides 4,000 Free Meals

Along with city workers, the mayor, the superintendent, and HelloFresh North America Senior Director of Sustainability, Jeff Yorzyk, distributed 4,000 HelloFresh meals with wholesome, easy-to-follow recipes designed especially for families with kids. They also provided information on family grocery benefits, including Summer EBT, SNAP, and a free local meal finder, courtesy of No Kid Hungry. The program aims to reduce hunger in Newark, which is more pronounced in summer when kids do not eat at school.

“During summer, many Newark youths lose access to nutritious meals served for breakfast and lunch in our schools,” Mayor Baraka said. “In addition, our city still suffers from ‘food deserts,’ where a wide selection of nutritious food is often not conveniently accessible. These meal kits with delicious recipes help close that gap, and I thank HelloFresh and No Kid Hungry for their partnership in offering our residents this important program that keeps families well nourished.”

This community event was part of the new “13 for 13 Million” campaign, a joint initiative from HelloFresh and No Kid Hungry that aims to raise awareness of childhood food insecurity and its effect on 13 million kids nationwide.

“This initiative, powered by HelloFresh and No Kid Hungry, underscores our commitment to ensuring no child in Newark goes hungry. Together, we’re not just sharing meals; we’re sharing the promise of a brighter, healthier future for our community,” said Superintendent León.

This event is not the first time HelloFresh has supported Newark residents. On November 20, 2023, HelloFresh joined ShopRite and the city to distribute 3,600 complete Thanksgiving turkey dinners, 3,600 side dish kits, a holiday recipe card, and an extra pasta and pesto dish. The event was a donation milestone of 2 million meals for HelloFresh’s Meals with Meaning program in partnership with the city.

“Our mission at HelloFresh is to change the way that people eat, and that includes ensuring access to wholesome food for all,” said Mr. Yorzyk. “We’re proud to continue our partnership with the City of Newark to help alleviate summer hunger for children and their parents during such a critical time.”

The City of Newark/HelloFresh partnership began at the beginning of the COVID shutdown in April 2020. It provides free meal kits to Newark residents facing food insecurity. City volunteers pack and distribute 1,300 boxes per week at locations rotating through the city’s five wards. This weekly Meals with Meaning program continues to this day.