Coalition for Food and Health Equity

What Coalition for Food and Health Equity does

Coalition for Food and Health Equity (CFHE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2020 by Dr. Leeja Carter and headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. CFHE addresses food insecurity and racial health equity through a portfolio of community-based programs targeting historically marginalized populations across New Jersey and Philadelphia. Its flagship offering, Ujamaa Cafe, places smart refrigerators stocked with healthy, ready-to-eat meals in trusted community venues — community centers, schools, health clinics, food pantries, and a cancer center — delivering dignified, cashless, no-questions-asked food access. The Byte Technology platform powers fridge menu display, while community data systems track nutritional preferences and program outcomes.

CFHE's product stack extends beyond smart fridges to include Ujamaa Well (integrated wellness and preventive care), Fresh by Ujamaa Cafe (recurring farm stands distributing free produce at five Hudson County sites), The Hunger Project (DoorDash-powered meal subscription for seniors, homeless individuals, and persons with disabilities), Pals & Produce (produce and meal delivery to low-income cancer patients), Rapid Response (emergency food relief), and ancillary programs such as Eating Better Together and STEM for Good. Distribution channels are venue-based physical locations augmented by monthly meal delivery and event-driven farm stands managed through Plentiful.com RSVPs.

Revenue is generated entirely through grant funding, tax-deductible charitable donations, and corporate sponsorships — all services are provided free of charge to participants. The organization has secured approximately $1.95 million in cumulative NJEDA Sustain and Serve grant funding across two phases, supplemented by American Cancer Society funding for the Abramson Cancer Center fridge and smaller corporate and individual contributions. End customers span food-insecure individuals and families, LGBTQ+ community members, low-income cancer patients and caregivers, seniors, and Hudson County residents in designated food-desert geographies. CFHE reports having served 3,500 families, 301,000 meals, across 80 cities and towns, with eight operational cafes as of its most recent impact disclosure.

Name

Coalition for Food and Health Equity

Legal name

Coalition for Food and Health Equity

Website

https://coalitionequity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Coalition for Food and Health Equity is a Jersey City-based nonprofit operating smart-refrigerator community cafes, farm stands, and meal delivery programs that provide free, dignified food access to food-insecure households and low-income cancer patients across New Jersey and Philadelphia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Food Access and Health Equity Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health Equity, Access & Social Determinants Programs (BPAIAJAO), Health Equity & Social Determinants Program Funding (HLAJALAK)

Keywords

• Community food access
• Food insecurity relief
• Health equity programs
• Smart refrigerator networks
• Community wellness services

Headquarters

HQ city

Jersey City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Grants: Government and foundation grants supporting program delivery, oversight, and evaluation. Major grants include $750,000 Phase 2 NJEDA grant and American Cancer Society funding for Abramson Cancer Center fridge.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals and organizations. Website donation portal available at secure.qgiv.com.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate donations and grants from businesses like Investor's Bank ($500 grant), supporting Ujamaa Cafe & Mobile program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Coalition for Food and Health Equity provides free, community-based food access and health equity programs through a network of smart refrigerator locations (Ujamaa Cafe), farm stands, meal delivery services, and wellness initiatives. Programs are deployed at trusted community sites including schools, health clinics, community centers, churches, and pantries across New Jersey and Philadelphia, with all services provided at no cost to participants.

Product overview

Coalition for Food and Health Equity operates as a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of food access and health equity programs. The core offerings include Ujamaa Cafe (smart refrigerator-based food access), Ujamaa Well (community wellness), and The Hunger Project (meal delivery). Sub-programs include Fresh by Ujamaa Cafe (farm stands), Pals & Produce (cancer patient nutrition support), Rapid Response (emergency food relief), Eating Better Together, and STEM for Good. These programs work together to address food insecurity, nutrition education, and health equity within historically marginalized communities across New Jersey and Philadelphia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ujamaa Cafe: A practice of community care and economics through supporting neighborhood revitalization at the intersection of health and food equity. Uses smart refrigerator technology to provide dignified, cashless access to healthy meals through local business partnerships. Ujamaa means 'cooperative economics' in Swahili.
• Ujamaa Well
• Fresh by Ujamaa Cafe
• The Hunger Project
• Pals & Produce
• Rapid Response

Products and services

• Ujamaa Cafe A community-based food access program providing dignified, cashless access to healthy meals through smart refrigerator technology deployed at community centers, schools, health clinics, and pantries across New Jersey and Philadelphia. Ujamaa means cooperative economics in Swahili, reflecting values of community collaboration.
• Ujamaa Well An integrated community wellness program connecting community members to holistic health resources, mental wellness support, and preventive care through trusted community partnerships.
• Fresh by Ujamaa Cafe
• Pals & Produce
• Rapid Response Hunger Relief
• The Hunger Project

Quantifiable outcome

• 301,000 meals served to 3,500 families across 80 cities and towns
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Presbyterian Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2023Sixth Ujamaa Cafe community refrigerator location at the Abramson Cancer Center, providing cancer patients and families with free nutritious food options. Partnership funded by American Cancer Society to advance nutritional health and equity among cancer patients.
• UPENN School of Social Policy and PracticecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 June 2023Research partnership exploring the impact of the Ujamaa Cafe fridge program on cancer patients' well-being throughout the grant period.
• North Jersey Community Research Initiative (NJCRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird Ujamaa Mobile Fridge location at NJCRI's Newark Pride Center, advancing holistic support services including fresh, healthy meal options for Newark's LGBTQ youth.
• Hudson Pride CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst Ujamaa Cafe location launched May 2021, providing free healthy meals to LGBTQ+ community members experiencing food insecurity. Partnership includes Friendsgiving events and 'We Outside' back-to-school events.
• St Luke Baptist Church Food & Clothing PantrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFourth Ujamaa Mobile Fridge location in Paterson, NJ addressing health and food insecurity concerns for individuals and families in NJ communities.
• DoorDashcoreTechnology or IntegrationDelivery partner coordinating fresh produce and prepared meal deliveries to Pals & Produce participants on the first Thursday of each month.
• Restaurant Partners (broritos, cafe.peanut, coffeeandcornbread, oats_by_garnish, pitassquare, freetown_road_project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal restaurants creating and distributing Friendsgiving meals and produce boxes to Hudson Pride Center members throughout Union, Essex, and Hudson Counties.
• Restaurant Partners (Made Meals, Cafe Peanut, Doner Xpress, Freetown Road Project, Pita Square, Garnish, Common Market)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHunger Project restaurant partners crafting delicious meal bags and providing fresh produce for meal delivery program serving seniors, homeless individuals, and persons with disabilities.
• Bayonne Economic Opportunity Foundation (BEOF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeekly Fresh by Ujamaa Cafe farm stand location offering free fresh produce to Hudson County residents.
• North Bergen Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeekly farm stand location providing free fresh produce to North Bergen residents.
• Hartung CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiweekly farm stand location in Kearny offering free fresh produce to Hudson County residents.
• Harrison Gardens Community RoomcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiweekly farm stand location in Hoboken providing free fresh produce to residents.
• The View Lincoln ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiweekly farm stand location in Jersey City at 201 Lincoln Park Dr., offering free fresh produce.
• Community Food Bank of New JerseyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral resource for additional food assistance. CFHE directs individuals to CFBNJ's Find Food site and partner pantries.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• The Farmlink Project: National nonprofit that redistributes surplus farm produce to food-insecure communities. Comparable on the food-redistribution and dignity-preserving delivery model, especially relevant given CFHE's farm stand partnerships.

Direct peers

• The Food Trust: Philadelphia-based nonprofit focused on healthy food access, including farmers' markets, corner store conversions, and farm-to-community programs. Directly comparable to CFHE's Fresh by Ujamaa Cafe farm stands and community-embedded food access model in the same metro region.
• Daily Table: Nonprofit affordable grocery retail concept offering dignified, low-cost access to healthy food in food deserts. Closely comparable to CFHE's 'cashless, no-questions-asked, dignified' Ujamaa Cafe model — same anti-stigma framing applied through a different channel.
• Wholesome Wave: National nonprofit running produce prescription (PRx) programs that enable healthcare providers to 'prescribe' produce to food-insecure patients. Highly comparable to CFHE's food-as-medicine positioning with the Abramson Cancer Center.
• God's Love We Deliver: NYC-based nonprofit that prepares and home-delivers medically tailored meals to people living with serious illnesses. Highly comparable to CFHE's Pals & Produce and Hunger Project meal-delivery work with dietary customization for medical conditions.
• Chilis on Wheels: Nonprofit operating community refrigerators and food-rescue distribution in multiple cities with a 'dignified access' framing. Direct model peer to Ujamaa Cafe, particularly on the cashless community-fridge delivery mechanism.

Broad incumbents

• City Harvest: NYC's largest food rescue organization with a broad portfolio of mobile markets, school feeding, and nutrition education. Comparable mission (food insecurity in marginalized communities) but operates at significantly greater scale and scope.
• Meals on Wheels of America: National nonprofit network delivering meals primarily to seniors and disabled individuals. Directly comparable to CFHE's Hunger Project segment serving seniors and persons with disabilities via meal delivery.

Regional players

• Community FoodBank of New Jersey: Largest food bank in New Jersey, distributing millions of pounds of food annually through partner pantries. Same regional footprint as CFHE and explicitly cited by CFHE as a referral resource — represents both a peer and a complementary infrastructure provider.
• Food Bank For New York City: Major NYC food bank serving all five boroughs through pantries and programs. Comparable food-assistance mission serving a nearby urban population with similar demographic profiles and food-insecurity drivers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wix
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coalitionequity
• Instagraminstagram.com/wix

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Coalition for Food and Health Equity