Much of the work that takes place in permanent supportive housing developments like Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison is not simply about meeting resident needs and addressing their concerns, but in creating the conditions that enable staff and residents to work together and create the community they want to be a part of. That work encompasses promoting food security for a resident population with a diverse set of needs. Now, through a partnership with Princeton-based Share My Meals (SMM), that work also sustainably combats food waste.

Share My Meals began during the COVID pandemic with a mission to fight both food insecurity and the environmental impact of food waste by recovering and delivering healthy meals in local communities. While volunteering at a food pantry, co-founder Isabelle Lambotte was struck by the tremendous need to provide nutritious foods to New Jersey families. Families reporting food insecurity spiked nearly 17% statewide during the pandemic. After working primarily as a volunteer-led organization, SMM made use of scalable technology and launched a formal Meal Recovery Program in 2021. The organization now partners with corporate cafeterias, schools, universities and hospitals to recover surplus meals. Share My Meals works to provide nearly 1 million New Jersey residents with some of the 31% of food that goes unsold or uneaten.

Mission First was first introduced to Share My Meals through a direct partnership at its property in Bordentown, NJ, Union Eagle Senior Apartments. Share My Meals provides regular delivery of healthy food and drink options for senior residents. Through a partnership with First Presbyterian Church of Metuchen, we expanded our partnership with Share My Meals to bring resources to residents at Amandla Crossing and Imani Park. Sarah Teti manages the Church’s food pantry and has had an evolving relationship with Director of Program Management Melissa Mascolo.

“Residents spend extra time and care helping us to set up, clean up and promote the program among their neighbors,” explained Melissa. "The partnership with Share My Meals has made an incredible impact in our PSH programs in Edison and senior community at Union Eagle,” Melissa added. “Residents have been able to consistently access the prepared meals on a weekly basis during regular food pantry hours and pop-up food distribution days. Through this collaboration, our food security program is able to increase offerings of meats, cheeses, fresh and pre-packaged meals, produce, salads, sandwiches, bread, snacks and drinks.“

“The pantry now also offers food stamp sign-up, delivery and an access navigator to locate resources,” Sarah explained. “We even have a food truck.”

Currently supported by regular donations from the Church, augmented by regular deliveries from SMM, the pantry operates a client-first model so that those in need can shop for the products of their choice, much as they would in any other retail establishment. In Edison, NJ, 91 residents residing with Mission First depend on SNAP benefits to cover the costs of groceries. The partnership with First Presbyterian Church’s food pantry program, now significantly bolstered by Share My Meals, has made a huge difference in quality of life for Mission First residents.

With this new support, the pantry is open three times a month at each Edison site, serving approximately 70 residents per month, providing access to the essential food items that nourish our community members. Now, the partnership enters into bold new territory, combining the fight against hunger with sustainability.

“The Share My Meals program has allowed our pantry to serve the population in Amandla Crossing and Imani Park in a new way!” added Sarah. “We are so happy for this new exciting opportunity with SMM and our long-standing partnership with Mission First Housing Group."

The addition of Share My Meals continues the trend of a partnership whose evolution has consistently gone above and beyond for those it serves, empowering them not simply to survive, but thrive.

Since late March, Amandla Crossing and Imani Park have enjoyed the blessing of incoming Resident Services Coordinator Latisha Marshall. Latisha, a native of New York, brings over a decade of experience working in Human Services in underserved communities with homeless populations to the role.

Currently, she splits her time between Edison on Monday and Tuesday and Mission First’s property in Bordentown, NJ, Union Eagle Senior Apartments, the rest of the week. Latisha shared that it was her passion for helping individuals reacclimate to life after experiencing homelessness that compelled her to apply for the role at Mission First. She is energized by the challenge of helping to navigate ending homelessness in New Jersey.

Latisha noted that she is looking forward “to getting a handle on exactly what residents need” to further maximize benefit to the resident population. While she hopes that getting to know residents will continue to stimulate resident involvement and engagement, she has also been pleasantly surprised by their engagement and attentiveness to programming and community life.

Not long after Latisha started, the communications team received an email of event photos from Melissa Mascolo, alerting us to “be on the lookout…Latisha has a lot of good stuff planned!” Well it’s May now, and that was a fact, Latisha’s first few weeks with Mission First were filled with community meetings, coffee hours and Share My Meals distributions, not to mention holistic wellness interventions including chair yoga and flower arrangement workshops. Latisha even made homemade chocolate lollipops for not one, but three, Mother’s Day events.

Mission First happily welcomes Latisha Marshall, an individual so clearly dedicated to creating a welcoming environment for others and an excellent fit for the Mission First team.

Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison reaps big benefits from one of its biggest neighbors. Each year, students from nearby Rutgers University bring their talents and social consciousness to volunteer and intern at Mission First.

Ruqayya Pervez, a junior Public Health major from South Brunswick, NJ, is one of two interns on the ground at Imani Park and Amandla Crossing, learning in real-time. While her responsibilities include producing event flyers, monitoring the annual calendar and conducting wellness check-ins for residents, all of which serve to build her knowledge in pursuit of her degree, she also cites more deep-lying reasons for taking part in work of this nature.

“Growing up, my parents would regularly take me and my siblings to my local mosque to pack pantry meals,” she explained.” I learned from a young age that giving back to the community should be something an individual should implement in their lives.”

Ruqayya points to learning to interact with diverse communities and educating individuals about their healthcare as major points of personal growth as well as expanding her experiences. Even if their time with us is temporary, Mission First and its work are strengthened by the presence of individuals with mindsets like these, focused on service and impact.

Mother's Day Celebration 
at Imani Park

Resident-Led Cooking Demo
at Amandla Crossing

Garden Group Meeting and Seed Starting at 
Imani Park

Mother's Day Celebration 
at Amandla Crossing

Garden Group Meeting and Seed Starting at Amandla Crossing

Gardening Day

at Imani Park

Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison provides permanent supportive housing for homeless individuals and families in Middlesex County. Our on-site support services offer our residents access to the resources they need to increase health, independence and housing stability. When you make a donation to Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison, you are helping to ensure that residents have the supports they need to remain successfully housed, get back on their feet and live as thriving members of the community. Your support means so much! 

Donate online by clicking below or by mail to Melissa Mascolo, Supportive Housing: Edison, c/o Amandla Crossing, 100 Mitch Snyder Drive, Edison, NJ 08837.

Accepting Food Pantry Donations

Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison is looking for support from readers in donating food items to its Food Pantry. 100% percent of your food donations will help to feed your neighbors and community members. Our program is looking for the following items for the Food Pantry:

• Fresh produce: vegetables, fruits, nuts.
• Whole grains: bread; low sugar cereals; rice (brown or white); grains such as quinoa, oats, barley; pastas (including gluten-free) crackers; granola bars and popcorn.
• Proteins: canned or vacuum packaged meats, such as chicken, tuna, salmon or sardines.
• Vegetarian and vegan-friendly protein: canned or dried beans; nuts and seeds; as well as nut butters such as peanut, almond, sunflower.
• Canned items; soups, stews or pastas. Note: items with pull-tab cans are preferred when possible.
• Beverages: shelf-stable milk (including plant-based), water, fruit juice, vegetable juice, tea, coffee.
• Other Items: Cooking oils, herb/spices, condiments, broths (such as vegetable, chicken, beef, turkey), sugar, honey, syrup, salad dressing, pasta sauce, vinegar.

Items can be purchased directly from our Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison Amazon Wish List or you can contact Andrea Dean at (856) 634-0611, adean@missionfirsthousing.org or Melissa Mascolo (609) 373-8550, mmascolo@missionfirsthousing.org, to make arrangements to donate.

Thank you for your consideration!

Do you want to do more than make a donation?

Here are some other great ways for you to help:

• Help secure a matching gift from your employer.
• Host a fundraising event and donate the proceeds to Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison.
• Host an essential items supply drive.
• Introduce your friends, family and colleagues to Mission First Supportive Housing: Edison and encourage them to give.

Do you have ideas you’d like to discuss? Give us a call! We’d love to work with you. For more information, please contact:

• Melissa Mascolo, Director of Program Management, 609.373.8550, mmascolo@missionfirsthousing.org
• Moira Rooney, Senior Vice President, Fundraising & Communications, 267.269.3331, mrooney@missionfirsthousing.org

We have great things planned for the future as well! Want to keep up-to-date on what's going on at Edison and Mission First's other work? Follow us on social media: