It's Official: The Free MARKet is Ours! 🎉

Yesterday, Fisherman’s Mark officially closed on the purchase of the Free MARKet property at 262 N. Main Street.

After years of planning, partnership with the City of Lambertville, and a careful public process, this important home for our programs now belongs to Fisherman’s Mark. It is a tremendous milestone for our organization — and the beginning of an exciting new chapter.

Ownership gives us greater stability today and creates new possibilities for how the property can serve our community in the years ahead.



Learn more:

Stay tuned for details about informational open houses later this fall, where you can learn more about our capital campaign and plans for the new Free MARKet.

In the coming weeks and months, you may hear from Fisherman’s Mark more than usual. I want to take a moment to explain why — and to share how each of our upcoming fundraising efforts supports the long-term strength and sustainability of our organization. 

This fall, we will launch our annual Fall Appeal. Like our Spring Appeal, this campaign supports the day-to-day work of Fisherman’s Mark: food support, social services, community outreach, Los Puentes, Lambertville Academy, seasonal programs, and the many forms of direct support we provide to our neighbors throughout the year. 

These are the gifts that help keep our programs running. They allow us to respond when a family needs groceries, when a neighbor needs help navigating services, when a household is facing an emergency, or when our community needs a place to turn. Annual operating support is what makes the daily work of Fisherman’s Mark possible. 

Meanwhile, we are preparing to launch the community phase of our capital campaign, Making Our Mark for the Future. 

This campaign is different. Rather than supporting annual operations, the capital campaign is a one-time opportunity to invest in the future of Fisherman’s Mark. Funds raised through this campaign will help us renovate and strengthen the Free MARKet property, create additional community space, and upgrade our kitchen so we can better support the growing needs of our neighbors for years to come. 

In simple terms: the Fall Appeal supports the work we do every day. The capital campaign helps secure the space and infrastructure that make that work possible for the future. 

Both are important. Both are rooted in sustainability. And both reflect the same commitment: ensuring that Fisherman’s Mark can continue serving our neighbors with dignity, compassion, and care. 

We understand that being asked to support two different efforts may raise questions. That is why we want to be clear. Your annual gift to the Fall Appeal helps us meet immediate and ongoing needs. A gift to the capital campaign is a special, one-time investment in the future of our organization and the community we serve. For capital campaign gifts of $1,000 or more, pledges may be paid over two years. 

As Fisherman’s Mark continues to grow, we are thinking carefully about not only how we serve today, but how we prepare for tomorrow. The needs in our community are real, and so is the opportunity before us. With your help, we can continue providing essential support now while also building a stronger foundation for the future. 

Thank you for being part of this work, for believing in our mission, and for standing with our neighbors. 

With gratitude,

Jennifer Williford
Executive Director

We are incredibly grateful to Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Lambertville for choosing Fisherman’s Mark as the nonprofit beneficiary of this year’s Dancing with Our Stars fundraiser.

Throughout the competition, local dancers took to the floor each week while friends, family members, and community supporters tuned in, voted for their favorites, and helped raise funds for Fisherman’s Mark along the way. The first week kicked off with Rock & Roll Night, with our own Executive Director, Jennifer Williford, joining the fun as co-host.

“It's an honor to be chosen as the nonprofit supported by this event,” Jenn shared. “Fred Astaire may be a new community partner, but they already feel like longtime friends. We’re so grateful for their enthusiasm, creativity, and generosity, and we look forward to many more opportunities to work together.”

Partnerships like this mean so much to Fisherman’s Mark. They not only help support our programs, but also introduce new people to our mission and strengthen the connections that make our community so special.

A heartfelt thank-you to the entire Fred Astaire team, all of the dancers, everyone who voted and donated, and all those who helped make the competition such a joyful way to give back.

For the next four months, your spare change at GIANT in New Hope can help stock the Free MARKet.

Through GIANT’s Round Up program, shoppers can round up their purchase at checkout, and that extra change goes to Fisherman’s Mark. Those small amounts add up, giving us flexibility to purchase food we may not be able to source elsewhere, as well as gift cards for program participants whose dietary needs cannot always be met through the Free MARKet.

As Jennifer Williford explains, “You’d be amazed at how much your change makes a difference. That credit allows us to purchase food - especially items we can’t get through other sources - and gift cards for program participants whose dietary needs we can’t fulfill at the market.”

The next time you shop at GIANT, consider rounding up for Fisherman’s Mark. A few cents at a time can go a very long way.

We’re proud to share that Fisherman’s Mark Director of Operations Ricardo Zapata has been named Co-Chair of the Hunterdon County Latino Access Coalition, alongside Jose Figueroa of Prevention Resources. The coalition brings together nonprofits, healthcare providers, educators, government agencies, businesses, faith communities, and residents to improve access and opportunities for Latino families across Hunterdon County.



For more than 20 years, the coalition has worked to strengthen healthcare access, language access, education, transportation, workforce opportunities, and community voice. Ricardo’s leadership reflects the kind of collaborative, community-centered work that is central to Fisherman’s Mark’s mission.

Back-to-school season can be exciting, but it can also bring a long list of expenses for families. Thanks to an incredible outpouring of community support, Fisherman’s Mark was able to help local children start the school year feeling prepared, supported, and celebrated.

This year, we distributed over 250 backpacks along with school supplies to children and families in our community. But Backpack Distribution Day became about much more than backpacks. With pizza from Chef Jose, ice cream, live music from School of Rock, tables filled with supplies, and volunteers pitching in throughout the day, the event felt more like a community celebration than a distribution.

Many of our favorite moments stayed off camera as we protected the privacy of the families we serve, but the joy was everywhere: in the smiles, the music, the volunteers, and the excitement of children choosing supplies for the year ahead.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who donated backpacks and school supplies, volunteered their time, partnered with us, or helped make the day special. Together, you helped families avoid one more significant back-to-school expense while reminding local children that their community is behind them.

Sometimes the person in the passenger seat makes all the difference.

Our Mobile MARKet drivers have important “co-pilots” who ride along on pickups and deliveries and help the whole process run more smoothly. That extra set of hands helps a lot and is a big part of keeping Mobile MARKet moving.

We also want to give a special shout-out to the five high school students who committed to volunteering throughout the summer. Their reliability, energy, and willingness to pitch in wherever needed made a real impact.

We’re incredibly grateful to all of the volunteers who help keep Fisherman’s Mark on the move.