Englewood, NJ (July 2, 2020) – Center for Food Action (CFA) is pleased to announce the launch of the GIVE-A-MEAL Program.  Initially funded by four area hospitals, the program is designed to help struggling area restaurants and the thousand of residents impacted by job loss or lost wages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each week as part of CFA’s drive-through food distribution, families will randomly be selected to receive a voucher good for dinner for four from one of the following restaurants: funded by four area hospitals (Mahwah), The Shannon Rose Irish Pub (Ramsey), Steve’s Burgers (Garfield), Applebee’s (Hackensack), Blue Moon Mexican Café (Englewood), TJ’s Southern Gourmet Catering (Englewood) or, Bartolomeo Deli (Englewood.)

“As COVID-19 cases decreased at area hospitals, the staff wanted to continue to help the community,” said CFA Executive Director, Patricia Espy, “the GIVE-A-MEAL program provides a way to help the area restaurants, who have always given so much to the community while helping to provide meals to the thousands of area families who have been hit hard by the pandemic, either losing jobs, income or their health in the wake of COVID-19.”

“Partnering with Center for Food and Action brings us great joy.” Said Tia Jackson, proprietor of TJ’s Southern Gourmet, “As part of TJ’s Commitment to helping those in need, our ‘Community Connection’ program to-date has provided over 100 soups to seniors, and 2,800 individual meals to local Englewood residents. Since our beginning 25 years ago in NYC, TJ’s has always been intentional in supporting our local community. We are a family business built on strong family values. Uniquely our customers become more like family. With that, being part of the CFA Give A Meal Program allows us to continue to build our community initiatives, support local families, and in turn, creates a cash infusion to support operational needs such as payroll and more. Stronger or healthier families create healthy and stronger communities. It’s like the circle of life.  We realize we cannot do it alone and this is how we choose to get through this pandemic. We are happy to be graced with the opportunity to be an extension to the efforts of organizations like CFA in turn allowing us to survive one more day, one more week, one more month.”