• 786,147 people reside in Essex County, a decline of approximately .08%
• In 2004, 14% of residents in Essex County lived in poverty making it the third poorest county in the state of New Jersey.
• The racial profile for Essex County is 52% Caucasian, 42% African American, 4% Asian, and 0.4% American Indian/Alaska Native.
• 18% of Essex County residents report a Hispanic or Latino origin.
• The median household income reported is $55,146.

• Essex County is home to the City of Newark, which is the largest New Jersey municipality with 277,911 residents, an increase of approximately 2%.
• The city of Newark has a racial profile of 27% white, 53% African American, 1% Asian, and 0.4% American Indian/Alaska Native.
• 30% of Newark residents report a Hispanic or Latino origin.
• Over 28% of all Newark residents live below the poverty level. In families with female head-of-households with related children under 18 years of age, this number increases to 36%; with children 5 years and under, 45%.
• The median household income reported is $26,913.

• In 2006, the Newark unemployment rate was 8.5%, a 0.2% increase from 2005. The statewide unemployment rate is 5.8%.

• In 2002, over 65,000 individuals received SNAP in Essex County and nearly 30,000 also received TANF.
• In the 2005-2006 school year, over 70% of Newark Public School Students received free or reduced breakfast/lunch.

Essex County SNAP-ED Project
The Essex County SNAP-Ed Program targets the municipalities of Newark, Irvington, Orange and East Orange for SNAP recipients or individuals who are eligible to receive SNAP benefits. The program also services schools in these municipalities where over 50% of students receive free or reduced lunches. SNAP-Ed programming currently serves the following populations:

• Adults participating in "Work First" programs supported by the New Jersey Department of Labor
• Youth groups in Newark Public Schools (Grades K -12)
• Youth groups in Newark Public Schools Youth Development After School Program and summer program
• Teenage mothers that participate in high school nursery program
• Pre-College Program that targets college bound youth
• Adults and youth in residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities
• Hispanic adults and senior citizens at community development centers
• Youth and adults with mental and physical disabilities

Non Duplication

The SNAP-Ed program will provide nutrition education to individuals and youth groups who are not serviced by the Essex County Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). The EFNEP and SNAP-Ed Program Associates work closely to ensure non-duplication of services in schools and community agencies throughout Essex County.

Project Objectives

• To promote the SNAP-Ed program and its mission of achieving food security by improving the diets and nutritional behaviors that is consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Healthy Americans.
• To facilitate collaboration among various organizations and agencies to target SNAP program participants or eligible youth, adults and seniors for nutrition education.
• To provide nutrition education in-services to participating agencies and Newark Public School personnel in Newark.
• To fulfill competencies of the UMDNJ Dietetic Internship Food Security rotation. Essex County will work with dietetic interns to contribute to the student's professional development in the area of nutrition education for SNAP participants and to improve county extension outreach capabilities.
• To provide nutrition education, according to the statewide mission, to Spanish speaking SNAP eligible adults and seniors throughout Essex County.
• To provide nutrition education classes to youth in schools and parent groups where more than 50% of the students receive free or reduced lunches and who are not served by EFNEP.
• To provide nutrition education to adults and youths with disabilities within Essex County.
• To provide nutrition education classes to 9th graders in the Summer Pre-College program run by the School of Public Health and Related Professions at UMDNJ.

• To provide nutrition education lessons throughout Essex County.
• Work with dietetic interns to contribute to the students' professional development in the area of nutrition education for the SNAP participants, and to improve County extension outreach capabilities.
• To utilize the Community Food bank of New Jersey by obtaining USDA and SFPP commodities to be used for food demonstrations and as a resource for SNAP-Ed participants.
• To participate in community health fairs throughout Essex County to help increase nutrition awareness within the community.

Evaluation

The evaluation outcomes include an overall measurement of the impact of nutrition education amongst the adults and senior population of the SNAP-Ed program participants. The CRS reporting system is used for Pre and Post Diet recalls and Behavioral Checklists. An evaluation report of the project will be submitted for possible publication in the peer reviewed Nutrition and/or Family and Consumer Sciences Journal. The dietetic interns will be listed as part of the year-end evaluation report.

Collaborative Relationships

University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
Newark Public Schools
FOCUS Hispanic Center for Community Development
El Club del Barrio
CURA, Inc.
Consortium for Precollege Education in Greater Newark
Integrity House
Friends & Families United, Inc.
Ironbound Community Corp.
Prospect House

Contact

Kanan Thakore, M.S., RD, CNSD
Essex County SNAP-Ed at UMDNJ
Department of Primary Care
65 Bergen Street, Rm. 157
Newark, NJ 07107-3001
Phone: (973) 972-9488
Fax: (973) 972-7403
E-mail: Thakorka@umdnj.edu