Food Insecurity Is Growing Across Mercer County
Food Insecurity in Mercer County Is Reaching a Breaking Point — And Time Is Running Short
By the Mercer County Food Security Leaders Group
Across Mercer County, food insecurity is rising at a pace we can no longer afford to overlook. Local food pantries, community meal sites, and home-delivery programs are seeing 20–25% more visits than this time last year, along with a growing number of first-time users. Seniors on fixed incomes, families with young children, and historically underserved communities are being pushed to the brink.
These are not distant statistics—they are our neighbors in Trenton, Hamilton, Ewing, Princeton, and communities across the county.
To be clear, Mercer County has made meaningful progress. In the wake of the pandemic, nonprofits, county agencies, faith communities, and private partners came together in unprecedented ways. Thanks to strong state and county leadership, we have expanded access, improved coordination, and reached more residents than ever before.
But today, even that collective effort is being outpaced.
Inflation, rising housing and transportation costs, and reductions in nutrition benefits are forcing more households into the emergency food system. The network of food pantries and meal programs—never designed for this level of sustained demand—is now under extraordinary strain.
And much of this struggle remains hidden. Food insecurity is not always visible. It may be the senior living quietly down the block, the parent juggling bills behind closed doors, or the family whose children sit next to ours in school.
Behind the data are impossible choices: skipping meals so children can eat, stretching groceries beyond what is safe, or choosing between food and necessary medication. Without reliable access to food, everything else—health, education, employment—begins to unravel. Food security is the foundation on which every other form of progress depends.
The situation is about to grow even more urgent.
In the coming months, SNAP recertifications, administrative hurdles, and benefit reductions are expected to push even more families off critical support or reduce what they receive. That will place additional pressure on a system already stretched too thin.
This is not a temporary spike. It is a sustained and deepening challenge.
In response, the Mercer County Food Security Leaders Group—a coalition including Arm In Arm, HomeFront, Jewish Family and Children’s Services, Mercer Street Friends, the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, the Rescue Mission, and supported by Trenton Health Team—has worked to strengthen the county’s food system.
Together, we have expanded food access in high-need areas like East and West Trenton, advanced a Choice Pantry and Resource Hub model, improved coordination of public and private resources, and convened partners through the county’s first Food Security Conference.
These efforts matter. They show what is possible. But they are not enough to meet what lies ahead.
Addressing this crisis will require a deeper, broader response from across Mercer County—business leaders, philanthropic partners, faith institutions, civic organizations, and residents alike. State and county leadership have laid a critical foundation through historic food security investments. Private partnership must now help scale it.
As we move through 2026 and into 2027, increased demand is not a possibility—it is an expectation. Meeting it will require sustained funding, expanded volunteer engagement, stronger data collaboration, and continued advocacy.
No single organization can meet this moment alone. But as a community, we can.
We are committed to continuing this work—ensuring access to nutritious food in every corner of the county, strengthening coordination across providers, and building a more resilient system for the future. But success will depend on collective action.
Mercer County has shown, time and again, what we can accomplish when we come together.
Now is one of those moments.
Support your local food providers. Volunteer your time. Advocate for continued investment. Partner with organizations doing this work every day.
The need is here. The pressure is growing. And the time to act is now.
Together, we can ensure that every Mercer County resident has the food they need—not just to get by, but to truly thrive.
Signed,
The Mercer County Food Security Leaders Group:
Michelle Schwalbe, Chair; Jewish Family and Children’s Services, Executive Director
Maureen Hunt, Vice-Chair; Arm In Arm, Executive Director
Sarah Steward, HomeFront, Chief Executive Officer
Bernie Flynn, Randall West, & Lisa Weber, Mercer Street Friends; current CEO, incoming CEO, and Chief of Food Security
Barrett Young, The Rescue Mission, Chief Executive Officer
Amy Flynn, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, Chief Executive Officer
Matthew Broad, Trenton Health Team, Director of Programs
