About Us

Meeting Essential Needs with Dignity (MEND) is an interfaith hunger relief network of 22 food pantries located throughout Essex County, NJ. The MEND network includes eleven pantries in Newark, four in East Orange, and the remaining seven in Bloomfield, Irvington, Maplewood, Montclair, Orange, South Orange, and West Orange.

MEND works to alleviate hunger by providing fresh and healthy food, funds, volunteers, and a collaborative forum for its member pantries, so that they may share ideas and resources, and make a greater impact on the communities they serve. MEND also advocates for policies to eliminate food insecurity and to improve the lives of patrons.