Our Programs

Our Core Programs

Since it’s founding in 2013 SHUPP has expanded it’s programs to meet the evolving needs of the community it serves in Princeton. These unprecedented times are no exception. You can read about our newest “fresh produce” initiative below.

The board continues to oversee the program and supports it with advocacy, fund raising, outreach, education, and publicity.

Our Fresh Produce Delivery Program

SHUPP has shifted our backpack program to take this pandemic head on. SHUPP has arranged to provide 10 lbs bags of fresh produce to food insecure families of Free and Reduced Lunch recipients enrolled in the Princeton Public Schools. Delivery of the produce was arranged and negotiated by SHUPP with a wholesale provider. Our provider is paid to accompany school buses and school staff in a refrigerated truck to make bi-weekly deliveries in conjunction with the school’s food distribution schedule.

Community Gardens

In our efforts to expand our outreach to the community SHUPPrinceton has build and planed multiple commnuity gardens open to the community to enjoy the fresh produce grown by our SHUPP volunteers.

Vertical Farm Program

In conjunction with the Princeton Public Schools we have installed a vertical farm in the Littlebrook Elementary School.

This pilot program will complement the already robust outdoor, raised bed garden programs that have existed for some time in a number of Princeton Public Schools. It will allow for gardening all year round. It will allow the students to continue their agricultural adventures indoor during the cold weather, allow them to study, experiment, care for and maintain a gardening pod that has the potential to grow as much as 300 pounds of produce throughout the year.

Our Weekend Food Program

The genesis of the SHUPPrinceton initiative. Our weekend food program (or backpack program) provides students with supplemental nutritional resources in order to help stave off hunger over the weekend so that that can return to class on Monday better able to focus on their schoolwork.

ARM in ARM Food Pantry

To expand our outreach to the community SHUPPrinceton has partnered with Arm in Arm, a successful and like minded provider of food services to those in need. The partnership allows us to reach more children and families in need by providing another point of pick up for supplemental food throughout the year. This is an invaluable partnership because we realize that the need persists even when school is not in session.

Community Wide Summer Support

The SHUPPrinceton board in collaboration with the YMCA, YWCA and the Princeton Recreation Department expanded the weekend food distribution program to children in need, participating in the different camps through these organizations. SHUPPrinceton provides funding to a new summer school program, Jump Start, provided by the YMCA. Jump Start is an 8-week summer program offering support to children from low income/immigrant households in getting them ready for Kindergarten. Many of these children were not English-speakers and had not attended Pre-K. SHUPPrinceton’s funding covered the expense of the lunches provided to the kids participating in this program.

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