Original Soupman Donates over 1,000 soups to two non-profits in Montclair

Food Insecurity is Growing - It's Time to Step Up and Donate to Local Food Pantries

Crowds waited in line at Toni's Kitchen and Human Needs Food Pantry

Photo by Diane Lilli
From left to right: left photo – Joey Hagan of Original Soupman with Executive Director of Human Needs Food Pantry Michael Bruno. Right photo: Father John Mennell of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Joey Hagan of Original Soupman and Executive Director of Toni’s Kitchen Ann Mernin
Lilli
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The weather turned cold, and as I walked quickly in my winter coat today, I realized it's soup season. I love this time of year: from pumpkins to hot soup to bundling up and picking apples.

But for many people around us, the cold weather signals a more difficult and precarious time. According to Feeding America’s Map of the Meal Gap, in 2016:

· One in 10 New Jersey residents were food insecure, meaning they did not have an adequate, consistent supply of food. That translates to more than 919,000 hungry people.

· It’s even worse for children — 13.5 percent of New Jersey children suffered from hunger, translating to more than 268,000 children.

· About one-third of these residents earned too much to qualify for nutrition assistance.

I visited two non-profit feeding programs in Montclair with the generous Original Soupman today. This Jersey based famous soup company that you my know from Seinfeld donated over 1,000 soups to Toni's Kitchen and Human Needs Food Pantry.

The company strives to create a memorable experience in every spoonful of soup. From their secret spice blend to whole food ingredients, every bowl of Soupman soup provides easy, flavor-packed comfort in as much time as it takes to pour, heat and serve.

Both non-profit organizations told me the same thing: they are more busy than ever before. Their needs for donated food and monetary donations have grown as well.

Please consider donating to these food programs, or others like it in your neighborhood.

To make donations to Human Needs Food Pantry visit http://www.humanneedsfoodpantry.org/

To make donations to Toni’s Kitchen visit http://tk.slechurch.org/