Middlesex County introduces REPLENISH, the new brand identity of Middlesex County Food Organization and Outreach Distribution Services (MCFOODS)

REPLENISH, Nourishing Neighbors to officially launch on September 5, kicking off a series of events honoring Hunger Action Month

*Photos attached*

MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ – Middlesex County, as announced by the Board of County Commissioners, has officially introduced REPLENISH, Nourishing Neighbors, the new brand identity and tagline of its food distribution organization Middlesex County Food Organization and Outreach Distribution Services (MCFOODS). The new REPLENISH identity will better align with the organization’s mission of providing a turnkey hunger eradication program to our network of over 140 partner organizations so they can wholly focus on best meeting the nutritional and basic needs within their own.  Additionally, REPLENISH, formerly under the purview of the Middlesex County Improvement Authority, now operates within the Department of Community Services within the County organization. The new brand will officially make its public debut on September 5, at the annual Labor Day Concert at Roosevelt Park, Edison.

“The core values that MCFOODS was founded on will continue to live through REPLENISH. REPLENISH, and its leadership team, led by Jennifer Apostol, will remain committed to community collaboration in the fight to eradicate hunger within our County but will do so under a brand identity that is better aligned with its missions,” said Director of the Board of County Commissioners Ronald G. Rios. “The Board of County Commissioners and I are proud to support REPLENISH in this transformation and look forward to continuing food distribution to those most in need throughout our community.”

“Since its inception 25 years ago, MCFOODS has grown to meet the needs of the community, distributing millions of pounds of food year after year and building relationships with community partners and pantries which allows for greater reach within the community,” said County Commissioner Claribel Azcona-Barber, chair of the Community Services committee.  “REPLENISH, with its new name, continued mission and its move under community services, will allow the organization to further build upon those relationships and answer the needs of our neighbors.”

The official launch of the new brand identity will take place at the County’s annual Labor Day Concert held at Roosevelt Park in Edison, where MCFOODS was originally housed when it was founded in 1994. REPLENISH will be collecting non-perishable food items and/or monetary donations.

HISTORY OF REPLENISH

Beginning in the closet of a park police building in Roosevelt Park in Edison in 1994 as MCFOODS, the food distribution organization has since expanded into a 5,000 square foot warehouse in East Brunswick. Undergoing a brand transformation in 2021, MCFOODs, now named REPLENISH, provides nonperishable foods and necessities to a network of over 140 partner organizations throughout the 25 towns in Middlesex County to ensure that all residents always have access to nutritionally adequate food and necessities.

In the early years, REPLENISH received and distributed 92,000 pounds of nonperishable foods and necessities to about 30 partner agencies. In 2019, the organization received and distributed over 2.2 million pounds of food including fresh produce, dairy, and meat products to over 140 partners. During the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, REPLENISH never closed its doors. In a time when food insecurity increased throughout the country, REPLENISH collected and distributed an impressive 4,378,792 pounds of food to members of the Middlesex County community, a 93 percent increase over the year before. A database of agencies that can provide emergency food can be found at this link.

CELEBRATING HUNGER ACTION MONTH IN SEPTEMBER

REPLENISH is hosting a series of food drives to collect donations from the community in honor of Hunger Action Month and in celebration of this next step in the organization’s brand identity.

Additionally, REPLENISH is encouraging members of the community to participate in non-food-collection events to remember those at risk of hunger including setting an empty plate at the dinner table to remember those that are food insecure; learning to accurately read food dates and labels to reduce food waste; eating one small meal in a day to experience the feeling of hunger those without food feel; and starting a compost pile to reduce food waste.

REPLENISH will be collecting food at the following Hunger Action Month activities:

Labor Day Concert – September 5 at 4 pm

REPLENISH launch and food collection

Roosevelt Park, intersection of Grandview Ave and Pine Drive, Edison

Paper Shred event – September 11 from 9 am to 12 pm

Food collection

​South Brunswick Beech Woods Park, 137 Beekman Road, Monmouth Junction

Food Drive – September 18 from 10 am to 4 pm

New Brunswick Performing Arts Center, 11 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick

Food Drive in partnership with Stop & Shop – September 19 from 10 am to 2 pm

Various Stop & Shop store locations:

647 Route 18 South, East Brunswick

24 Summerfield Boulevard, Dayton

1049 US Highway 1 South, Edison

1083 Inman Avenue, Edison

424 Raritan Avenue, Highland Park

1600 Perrineville Road, Monroe

581 Stelton Road, Piscataway

Food Drive in partnership with Shoprite – September 25 from 10 to 2 pm

Shoprite, 4154 US 1, South Brunswick

South Amboy Irish Festival – September 25 from 2 to 8 pm

Food collection

Raritan Bay Waterfront Park, 201 O’Leary Boulevard, South Amboy

Paper Shred event – September 25 from 9 am to 12 pm

Food collection

​South Plainfield PAL Building/Recreation Center, 1250 Maple Avenue, South Plainfield

Food Drive – September 26 from 10 to 2 pm

John W. Lupu Memorial Post 306, 707 Legion Place, Middlesex Borough

Monetary donations are also always accepted in the form of a check payable to “Feeding Middlesex County.” Checks may be mailed to PO Box 781, Edison, NJ 08818 or donations can be made online via the REPLENISH website at www.feedingmiddlesexcounty.org.

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MIDDLESEX COUNTY, NJ

Middlesex County is home to numerous Fortune 500 companies, three universities, 18 park systems, and world-class healthcare and research facilities making it one of the nation’s most dynamic regions and a leader in technology, transportation, the arts, and food innovation. As one of the most diverse populations in the country, Middlesex County is home to over 832,000 residents living throughout 25 municipalities and employing nearly 40,000 people. Ranked #1 in the state for best schools, the County offers an award-winning vocational school system, a county college, and workforce development creating a unique ecosystem in which opportunities abound. Conveniently located between New York and Philadelphia, Middlesex County is a leading destination for businesses and residents alike to live, work, and play – and has been since the 17th century. For more information, visit middlesexcountynj.gov and find us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.