September is Hunger Action Month, a time to raise awareness about food insecurity and take action to help ensure that everyone has access to the food they need. While food insecurity is often thought of as a problem of affordability, getting access to available food can also be a transportation challenge.
For individuals and families without reliable access to a car, reaching a food pantry can mean navigating bus routes, walking distances, schedules and other transportation barriers. That is where transportation and food access intersect—and where Greater Mercer TMA can help.
Finding Food Shouldn’t Depend on Having a Car
New Jersey has many resources available to help residents experiencing food insecurity, including food pantries, community kitchens, SNAP and other food assistance programs. The New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate encourages residents to use resources such as NJ 211 and Ending Hunger NJ to connect with food assistance in their communities.
But knowing that a resource exists is only part of the equation. Can you get there?
Greater Mercer TMA created the Mercer County Food Pantry Finder App to help answer that question.
The interactive tool helps families, individuals and caseworkers identify food pantries that can be reached using public transportation. Users can explore the map, select nearby bus routes and see food pantries located within walking distance of those routes.
A Transportation Tool for Food Access
The Food Pantry Finder App grew out of conversations with community partners who identified a need for an easier way to connect residents with food resources by transit.
The app builds on the success of GMTMA’s Grocery Store Finder App, which was developed to help improve access to healthy food options. The Food Pantry Finder uses data shared and maintained by the Trenton Health Team and allows users to explore food pantry locations alongside transportation options.
For someone without a vehicle, this information can make a meaningful difference. Instead of simply knowing where a food pantry is located, a person can begin to understand how they can get there.
That might mean identifying a bus route that stops nearby, determining whether the pantry is within walking distance of a transit stop, or helping a caseworker identify an accessible resource for a client.
Take Action This September—and All Year
Hunger Action Month is an opportunity for everyone to take action. That can mean donating food, volunteering with a local organization, advocating for stronger food access—or simply helping someone find the resources available in their community.
And sometimes, taking action means sharing information.
If you know someone who could benefit from food assistance, share the Food Pantry Finder App with them. If you work with residents or clients who may face transportation barriers, add the tool to your list of community resources.
Food access is about more than having food available. It is also about making sure people can reach the resources they need.
Connect to Food Resources
Use GMTMA’s Food Pantry Finder App to explore food pantries and their accessibility by public transportation and walking.
For additional New Jersey food assistance resources, residents can also call NJ 211, text their ZIP code to 898-211, or visit NJ 211 online. NJ 211 is available 24/7 and can connect residents with food, housing, utilities and other essential resources.
This Hunger Action Month, let’s make sure that getting help isn’t just about knowing where to find it—it’s about making sure people can get there.