Mercer County Doubles Down On Food Insecurity Fight In 2026

Mercer County officials are entering 2026 vowing to ramp up local efforts to combat hunger even as federal support for nutrition programs shrinks. 

County Executive Dan Benson said his administration’s goal is that “no family in Mercer should go hungry,” pointing to new investments and infrastructure intended to buffer residents from federal cuts to SNAP benefits this year.

Central to that strategy is the Mercer County Office of Food Security, created in 2024 to coordinate agencies and nonprofits, expand access to fresh food and test new approaches to reducing hunger. 

In 2025, the office directed more than $600,000 in American Rescue Plan funding to local groups on the front lines, including a $250,000 Food Hub Pilot Grant to Mercer Street Friends in Trenton to launch a countywide food hub that will store and distribute food and connect clients to housing, workforce and mental health services.

County officials also rolled out a Food Security Innovation Pilot Grant, seeding more than $200,000 into projects such as urban farming and home gardening, food delivery for recently discharged hospital patients, mobile food trucks in so‑called food deserts and home-delivered surplus meals for Trenton residents with limited mobility. 

Additional funds supported a Meat and Dairy Purchasing Pilot Grant, which helps pantries and nonprofits buy and distribute fresh protein and dairy to households in need.

As about 38,000 county residents who rely on SNAP brace for reduced benefits and tougher eligibility rules under last year’s federal OBBB Act, Benson framed food access as a basic human right. 

The county highlighted tools such as the Mercer County Free Food Finder, an online directory of free meal programs and food distribution sites, as key to connecting residents with help while local government and community partners work to “push forward in our fight against food insecurity.”