SNAP-Ed Technical Assistance

New Jersey SNAP-Ed, a part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is a nutrition and physical activity program aimed at teaching NJ residents how to make healthy, budget-friendly food choices and lead more active lives. In New Jersey, SNAP supports 1 in 11 households--that’s over 800,000 residents, including 300,000 children.

Funded by the NJ Department of Health, Division of Family Services since 2018, the NJ YMCA State Alliance has provided training, support, and hands on assistance to the three SNAP-Ed implementing agencies: Community Food Bank of New Jersey, Zufall Health Center and Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Y State Alliance staff provide SNAP-Educators in all 21 counties with the knowledge and tools to highlight the greatest ways to engage their communities, connect families to resources, and support improved health strategies that encourage local policy, system and environment change adoption. Utilizing evidence-based strategies, the Y State Alliance focuses on the Whole Child, Whole School, Whole Community and Faithful Families models.

The Alliance recognizes that schools and faith-based organizations can play a critical role in promoting the health and wellness of residents to establish life-long healthy behaviors. Since 2018, the Y Alliance has conducted program trainings with SNAP- Educators from each agency to work directly with local schools and faith-based organizations to support each child’s overall physical, mental, and emotional health.

For more information about SNAP-Ed Technical Assistance, contact Marissa Davis at mdavis@njyalliance.org.