Send Hunger Packing Princeton

What Send Hunger Packing Princeton does

Send Hunger Packing Princeton (SHUPP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2013 to address food insecurity among children and families in Princeton, New Jersey. The organization operates a portfolio of food assistance programs targeting Princeton Public Schools students eligible for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program and their households. Services are delivered at no cost to beneficiaries and include the original Weekend Meal Packs (backpack program), Fresh Produce Delivery (10-pound bags), School Snack Program at Princeton Middle School, Free Pantries distributed throughout Princeton, Summer Feeding for camp participants, Community Gardens at Tortugas Restaurant and the Princeton YMCA on Paul Robeson Place, and a Vertical Farm at Littlebrook Elementary School capable of producing up to 300 pounds of produce annually.

Programs are delivered through school-site distribution at Community Park, Johnson Park, Littlebrook, Riverside, Princeton Nursery School, and John Witherspoon Middle School. SHUPP sources weekend meal packs from Mercer Street Friends, supplements distribution with fresh produce from Cherry Grove Organic Farm, and supports summer feeding at Princeton Recreation Department camps, YMCA Mini-Achievers, and the Princeton Nursery School. The vertical hydroponic farm at Littlebrook Elementary enables year-round gardening in partnership with Princeton Public Schools.

SHUPP is entirely volunteer-run and housed at Princeton Human Services, One Monument Hall, Princeton, NJ. Revenue is generated exclusively through donations: individual contributions via PayPal (with corporate matching gift programs), corporate and foundation grants (Bonner Foundation, Princeton University, Princeton Theological Seminary, Albin Family Foundation, Princeton Area Community Foundation), and fundraising events such as Empty Bowls, Hunger Banquets, CanStruction competitions, and appearances by celebrity chef Brian Duffy. Leadership is a volunteer board including President Julie Ramirez, Vice President Ross Wishnick, Secretary Melissa Urias Mercuro, and Treasurer Owen O'Donnell. The organization holds 501(c)(3) status (EIN 82-3884254) and achieved independent corporate status on January 1, 2018, after operating under Mercer Street Friends from founding through 2017.

Name

Send Hunger Packing Princeton

Legal name

Send Hunger Packing Princeton

Website

https://shupprinceton.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Send Hunger Packing Princeton is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) nonprofit reducing food insecurity among Princeton, NJ children and families through weekend meal packs, fresh produce delivery, community gardens, a vertical farm, free pantries, and summer feeding programs, funded entirely by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Insecurity and Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Safety Nets (In-Kind, Vouchers, Cash Transfers) (BPADAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Assistance & Nutrition Relief (Emergency Feeding) (BPAGAAAD), School Feeding & Child Nutrition Programs (BPADAJAD), Meal Program Compliance & Administration (NSLP/SBP, Reimbursements) (EDAEAEAC)

Keywords

• Food insecurity programs
• Weekend meal packs
• Community food assistance
• School-based food support
• Fresh produce delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Princeton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute through PayPal platform. The organization encourages company matching gift programs.
2. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Support from foundations including Bonner Foundation, Princeton University, Princeton Theological Seminary, Albin Family Foundation, and community supporters. Major donors like Jenny and Jon Crumiller have contributed.
3. Fundraising Events: Annual fundraising events including Empty Bowls events, Hunger Banquets, community gatherings featuring celebrity chef Brian Duffy, and CanStruction competitions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Send Hunger Packing Princeton (SHUPP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides supplemental food to food-insecure children and families in Princeton, NJ through weekend meal packs, fresh produce delivery, community gardens, a vertical farm, free pantries, a school snack program, and summer feeding programs. The organization coordinates distribution through Princeton Public Schools and community partners, with food sourced from Mercer Street Friends and local farms.

Product overview

Send Hunger Packing Princeton (SHUPP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a single unified charitable mission focused on reducing food insecurity in Princeton, NJ. The organization offers multiple interconnected programs including the Weekend Meal Packs (backpack program), Fresh Produce Delivery Program, Growing with SHUPP community gardens, Vertical Farm Program at Littlebrook Elementary School, School Snack Program, and Free Pantries. These programs work together to provide food support to children and families throughout the school year and summer months.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Weekend Meal Packs (Backpack Program) The original core program providing supplemental weekend food bags to Princeton children and families experiencing food insecurity. Weekend packs are distributed through the Princeton School District to students enrolled in the Free and Reduced Lunch Program.
• Fresh Produce Delivery Program SHUPP provides 10 lbs bags of fresh produce to food-insecure families of Free and Reduced Lunch recipients enrolled in the Princeton Public Schools. The bags are distributed to students while at school to bring home to their families.
• Growing with SHUPP (Community Gardens) Community garden initiative where SHUPP has built and planted multiple community gardens open to Princeton neighbors to enjoy fresh produce grown by SHUPP volunteers, including raised bed plots at Tortugas Restaurant parking lot and the YMCA on Paul Robeson Place.
• Vertical Farm Program In conjunction with Princeton Public Schools, SHUPP installed a vertical farm in the Littlebrook Elementary School allowing for year-round gardening with potential to grow up to 300 pounds of produce throughout the year.
• School Snack Program SHUPP provides Princeton Middle School liaisons with snacks to supplement students during the school day.
• Free Pantries Free pantries scattered about town providing shelf-stable food items to community members in need.
• Summer Feeding Program Program providing meals to children during summer months when school is not in session, including support for camp programs (Princeton Recreation Department camps, YMCA Mini-Achievers, Princeton Nursery School) and Jump Start kindergarten preparation programs.

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Cherry Grove Organic FarmsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Farm owner Matt Conver began providing fresh produce on Fridays which SHUPP picks up and delivers to Mini-Achievers, Princeton Nursery School, and other locations.
• Arm in ArmsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnered with SHUPP at their Nassau Presbyterian food pantry to offer an alternative food distribution method for middle school students who were reluctant to accept weekly food packages at school.
• Princeton Recreation DepartmentsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Summer camp partnership providing lunches for all camp participants regardless of financial considerations. SHUPP collaborated with the Rec Department to fund meals for 162 scholarship campers.
• Cornerstone Community KitchensupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Collaborated with SHUPP and Trenton Division of Recreation on a summer feeding program providing free breakfast to children under 18 at Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church.
• Chef Brian DuffysupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Celebrity chef who has MC'd and demonstrated at SHUPP fundraising events since 2014, including Fill the Bowls events and annual fundraisers.
• Adam WelchsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Artist and Princeton University adjunct who creates hand-made bowls for SHUPP's annual Empty Bowls fundraising events.
• Princeton YMCAsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Collaborated on Jump Start program for children preparing for Kindergarten. Provides space for community garden at Paul Robeson Place location. Trinidad Rodriguez previously worked for Princeton YMCA for nearly 20 years.
• Mercer Street FriendscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Mercer Street Friends is a founding partner that originally housed the Send Hunger Packing program. SHUPP operates under this partnership to source weekend meal packs. As of 2018, SHUPP became its own independent 501(c)(3) corporation but continues to work with Mercer Street Friends which provides the meals SHUPP purchases.
• Princeton Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Core distribution partner for weekend food bags and fresh produce programs. SHUPP works with school administration, principals, and family liaisons to identify eligible students and distribute food at elementary and middle schools including Community Park, Johnson Park, Littlebrook, Riverside, John Witherspoon, and Princeton Nursery School.
• Princeton Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Original convening organization that initiated the founding meeting in 2012. Provides office space, staff support, and connections to community resources. SHUPP is housed at their One Monument Hall location.
• Princeton Public LibrarysupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Provides space for SHUPP's annual September fundraising events at Hinds Plaza in the heart of Princeton.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• No Kid Hungry (Share Our Strength): National campaign dedicated to ending childhood hunger in the U.S., including school-based and summer meal programs. Direct peer in mission and beneficiary population, though operates at a much larger scale than SHUPP.
• Arm in Arm: Trenton-area nonprofit fighting hunger and poverty through food pantries, financial assistance, and housing support. SHUPP specifically partners with Arm in Arm at the Nassau Presbyterian food pantry for an alternative school distribution channel.
• Blessings in a Backpack: National nonprofit running the most well-known weekend backpack food program in the United States, serving food-insecure schoolchildren. SHUPP operates a substantially similar model on a single-city basis.
• Kids Against Hunger: Nonprofit packaging and distributing highly nutritious meals to children and families in the U.S. and abroad. Comparable beneficiary population (children) and food-distribution-first model, though more international in orientation than SHUPP.
• Hunger Free New Jersey: New Jersey statewide advocacy and education organization working to end hunger through policy, anti-hunger programs, and SNAP outreach. Mission-aligned peer focused on the same state-level food insecurity landscape as SHUPP.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: Nationwide network of 200+ food banks; the dominant U.S. incumbent in food insecurity response. Operates at a scale orders of magnitude larger than SHUPP but anchors the same ecosystem that SHUPP's local programs sit within.
• Mercer Street Friends: Large NJ-based human services nonprofit that housed SHUPP at founding and continues to supply its weekend meal packs. Operates food, housing, and youth programs across Mercer County — broader portfolio than SHUPP but directly intertwined operationally.

Regional players

• Food Bank of Mercer County (a program of CFBNJ): Regional food bank serving Mercer County (Princeton's home county), distributing emergency food to partner pantries and direct-service programs. Comparable beneficiary population and Princeton-area footprint overlap; serves as a potential substitute funder.
• Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK): Trenton-based daily meal program serving food-insecure individuals and families in Mercer County. Comparable community-meal and food-insecurity mission operating in the same regional food ecosystem as SHUPP.

Others

• Princeton HealthCare System Community Programs: Local healthcare provider running community health and food-related programs serving the Princeton area. Adjacent rather than directly competitive; potential partner for SHUPP's food-insecurity work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sendhungerpackingprinceton
• Xx.com/shupprinceton

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Send Hunger Packing Princeton