Reports on the state of hunger and homelessness in New Jersey, from food insecurity issues and soup kitchens to the SNAP benefits program and legislation looking to lend a hand

November 26, 2024 – NEWARK, NJ – NJ PBS, New Jersey’s public media network, announced that its newsroom will produce a special, NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi Special Edition: Hunger in NJ, to broadcast and stream Thursday, November 28 at 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. on NJ PBS (check local listings). The special will air in place of the network’s usual weeknight news program, NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi, and report on the state of hunger and homelessness in New Jersey.

“Thanksgiving is a day of reflection, and we are choosing to reflect on the issues facing the less fortunate,” said NJ Spotlight News Sr. Managing Editor Jamie Kraft. “This news special will give people perspective on an array of issues around hunger and homelessness here in New Jersey, assessing both the challenges and solutions at work to overcome them.”

The half-hour special, hosted by NJ Spotlight News Anchor Briana Vannozzi, will include reporting on Garden State food insecurity issues, soup kitchens, SNAP benefits, legislation and more.

NJ Spotlight News is an award-winning news organization that provides reporting from across all 21 counties in New Jersey and beyond through a weeknight newscast, NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi, a robust digital platform, social media, daily newsletters, and community engagement events. Learn more at NJSpotlightNews.org.

Major funding for NJ Spotlight News and the NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi newscast is provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium, the William Penn Foundation, PSEG Foundation, the Fund for New Jersey, RWJBarnabas Health, NJM Insurance Group, Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, New Jersey Education Association, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of NJ, New Jersey Realtors, the Schumann Fund for New Jersey and Wyncote Foundation.

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ABOUT NJ PBS

NJ PBS, New Jersey’s public media network, brings quality arts, education, and public affairs programming to all 21 counties in the state. Headquartered at the Agnes Varis NJ PBS Studio in Newark, the network offers diverse local programs including American Songbook at NJPAC, Chat Box with David Cruz, New Jersey Business Beat with Raven Santana, Here’s the Story, Drive By History, One-on-One with Steve Adubato, Soundcheck, State of the Arts, Table for All with Buki Elegbede and Treasures of New Jersey and PBS favorites such as Nature, NOVA, Amanpour and Company and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. Its award-winning newsroom, NJ Spotlight News, provides multiplatform reporting from across the Garden State on its weeknight newscast, NJ Spotlight News with Briana Vannozzi, and digitally via NJSpotlightNews.org, plus live news specials, community engagement events, podcasts and daily newsletters. The MyNJPBS.org network website offers streaming programs and free digital resources for educators via PBS LearningMedia New Jersey. NJ PBS is operated under an agreement with the state of New Jersey by Public Media NJ, Inc. (PMNJ), a non-profit affiliate of The WNET Group, the parent company of award-winning New York public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21.