Project Self-Sufficiency receives $20,000 grant for food pantry

Project Self-Sufficiency has received a $20,000 grant from the FirstEnergy Foundation to help address food insecurity in Sussex and northern Warren counties.

The funding will support the agency’s Nourish to Flourish food pantry and efforts to provide nutritious food, fresh produce and everyday essentials to local families.

Nearly 14,000 people in Sussex County experienced food insecurity in 2024, according to the most recent statistics cited by Project Self-Sufficiency.

The agency has operated a food pantry in various forms since its founding in 1986. As demand increased, Project Self-Sufficiency expanded its food storage capacity, adding refrigerators and freezers to accommodate fresh produce and proteins.

In 2025, the agency converted a former farmhouse on its campus into the market-style Nourish to Flourish food pantry.

“We are grateful to receive funding to support Project Self-Sufficiency’s mission to bring nutritious food to local individuals and families who have been impacted by rising food prices, job insecurity, and a host of issues which are currently impacting their ability to put food on the table,” Project Self-Sufficiency CEO Deborah Berry-Toon said. “Support from the FirstEnergy Foundation will have a dramatic impact on families in our community.”

The grant is part of a $1.3 million FirstEnergy Foundation investment in 25 New Jersey hunger-relief organizations during Hunger Action Month, a national observance held each September to raise awareness of food insecurity and encourage volunteerism, advocacy and donations.

The organizations are expected to provide more than 3.8 million meals through the funding.

Jersey Central Power & Light, a FirstEnergy subsidiary, serves 1.2 million customers in 13 counties, including Sussex County.

The FirstEnergy grant will support Nourish to Flourish and Project Self-Sufficiency’s efforts to connect residents with food and other necessities.