The Union County Board of County Commissioners announced today that the County of Union will fully supply the food that will be distributed by the Borough of Roselle to students who receive free and reduced-price school lunches during the district's closure this week. This action is being taken at the direction of the New Jersey Department of Human Services to ensure that eligible students continue to have access to nutritious meals while school buildings are closed.

According to data provided by the State of New Jersey, Roselle has approximately 1,412 households currently receiving SNAP benefits and an estimated 2,346 school-aged children enrolled in free or reduced-price meal programs. The County's support is intended to bridge the temporary gap in meal access during this closure period, so families do not face additional hardship.

"Ensuring that every child has access to food is a basic responsibility we take seriously," said Commissioner Chairwoman Lourdes Leon. "We are grateful to Mayor Donald Shaw and his team for their swift coordination and for working closely with us to make sure families have what they need during this temporary closure."

Roselle will oversee all aspects of the distribution locally and will identify eligible students directly through district records. Each qualifying student will receive shelf-stable food items covering both breakfast and lunch for a full school week while classes are not in session. Distribution will be conducted by Roselle, and families will receive details through official Borough and school district communications.

"The needs in our community are great, but together we can overcome them. We're truly grateful for our partnership with Union County and for the teamwork that makes progress possible. I'm deeply thankful to our County Commissioners, County Manager Ed Oatman, Borough Business Administrator Christopher Laba, Councilwoman Denise Wilkerson, Dr. Nathan Fisher, and Derek Reese for their tireless work and support with this initiative, says Mayor Donald Shaw."

The County also extends its appreciation to Village Super Market (operators of the ShopRite's of Watchung, Union, Elizabeth and Garwood in Union County), which worked closely with Union County to quickly source and prepare the large quantity of meal items required for this effort. Their rapid coordination allowed the County and Roselle to move forward without delay.

"Union County is committed to protecting our most vulnerable residents, especially our children," said County Manager Edward T. Oatman. "Because of the County's strong financial standing, we are able to respond quickly to the State's request and ensure that no child in Roselle goes without meals simply because school buildings are closed. We appreciate the partnership of Mayor Shaw & his leadership team as they work directly with families to distribute these resources."

State data indicates that Roselle has a high percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, making continued access to school meal equivalents essential during periods when buildings are closed. This temporary support will remain in place only for the duration of the closure week.

Further information will be shared directly to Roselle families through Borough and school district communication channels.