Since its creation by the Maplewood Township in November of 2021, the Maplewood Food Shed has been an invaluable piece of local support for food-insecure citizens who lack reliable access to groceries and meals. The shed, located on 1927 Springfield Avenue, is open from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, seven days a week.
Recently, town leaders have been considering changes to the food shed in response to its current issues, with the goal to help the shed better serve and safeguard clients and neighbors.
One of the leading voices that supported the initial creation of the Maplewood Food Shed was the Youth Advisory Committee, a board composed of student volunteers from Columbia High School and formed under Dean Dafis, a current Township Committee Member who also served as Mayor of Maplewood in 2022 and 2023.
In an interview with the Village Green, Dafis directly championed the Township’s collective involvement in maintaining the shed, emphasizing that “it should be something that all of us are proud of because all of us are contributing.” The Food Shed is overseen by MEND (Meeting Essential Needs with Dignity) and the U.C.C. (United Community Corporation), two organizations with reliable experience in running food distribution and helping the community.
Maplewood Food Shed. February 2026. Photo by Robin Van Nostrand.
In the first months of 2026 alone, Essex County has faced two powerful snowstorms. The weather index reported 21″ inches of snow on January 26 and 9″ inches of snow on February 23, which resulted in unusable roads and sidewalks that remain difficult to traverse. The bad weather was particularly destructive for community members who frequent the food shed.
Additionally, the rising concerns of I.C.E. activity has caused a noticeable decline in the amount of clients who approach the Food Shed. “There is a fear of [community members] being so visible, so outside,” Dafis said. He also noted that many immigrant households rely on the shed. While no I.C.E. agents have been officially reported at the Food Shed, food-insecure residents remain fearful because of the threat of detainment.
RELATED: ‘Our Lines Are Getting Longer’ — Food Pantry Managers Warn of Growing Crisis
A long-term issue that also impacts the shed today is the fair distribution of resources. While the U.C.C. oversees the shed’s activity, Dafis said that they are not able to supervise it for the entire 12-hour window, which can lead to some aggression between clients as distribution becomes unbalanced.
During a Township Committee meeting held on February 3, Dafis stated that he plans to tackle the food shed’s various issues. In a follow-up interview, Dafis indicated that potential improvements include the implementation of regular staff to manage food distribution across all hours of operation, the relocation of the shed, and connecting with helpful support groups that would aid things such as documentation processing.
“We always want to make things better,” Dafis said. “We always need to adjust and evolve.”
Robin Van Nostrand is a 12th grade student at Columbia High School and is working with Village Green as part of a grant from the New Jersey Civic Information Consortium.
