In the early months of the pandemic, as lines outside food pantries stretched for blocks and restaurants threatened to go out of business, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy launched a pilot program to help feed the hungry and keep businesses afloat. 

Known as Sustain and Serve, the initiative distributed federal COVID dollars and state funds to organizations that purchased meals from restaurants to feed residents in need. Millions of meals later, the program continues to be a lifeline for some organizations and restaurants — as pandemic concerns fade but inflation sends costs skyrocketing. 

“Being part of this has exposed huge numbers of people in New Jersey to the hunger that was in their backyard,” Tara Colton, executive vice president for economic security at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority told WNYC.