Toni’s Kitchen, the food ministry of St. Luke’s Church, recently secured a vital grant from the KearnyBank Foundation for a new distribution van, significantly bolstering its capacity to provide food assistance across Montclair, Bloomfield and West Orange.
The organization’s fleet is crucial for its operations, which include delivering groceries to seniors and individuals with mobility issues, collecting surplus food from over twenty local businesses, and operating Neighborhood Mobile Markets that offer fresh produce and pantry staples in a farmers-market-style setting.
This new vehicle arrives at a critical juncture, as demand for food assistance has grown by 14% in recent months, compounded by a 20% drop in government-funded food donations.
“This generous grant couldn’t have come at a better moment,” Anne Mernin, executive director of Toni’s Kitchen said. “We’re seeing more of our neighbors struggling to put food on the table, and our existing vehicles have been stretched to the limit. This new van will be a game-changer, allowing us to transport more food across our service areas and reach even more neighbors efficiently.”
KearnyBank’s commitment to community health
The KearnyBank Foundation, which focuses on strategic investments in education, housing, community enrichment, and quality of life, underscored its commitment to community health through the grant.
“At KearnyBank Foundation, we are committed to improving lives throughout the areas we serve,” Taryn Rockwell, the Foundation’s executive director said. “Ensuring that our community is well-fed is a simple and extremely impactful way to help, and we are excited to see how this van will expand the vital work of Toni’s Kitchen.”
Expanding services to meet demand
Founded in 1982, Toni’s Kitchen has grown from a small soup kitchen serving 7,000 meals annually to a robust food support network that provided over 2 million meals in 2024 alone.
Today, the ministry operates a broad range of services—including mobile markets, home grocery deliveries, and hot meals served from a food truck—all focused on ensuring reliable access to healthy food for the most vulnerable residents. Toni’s Kitchen also collaborates with an extensive network of community partners, such as schools, senior centers, libraries, and health providers, to maximize its reach.
The new van will directly enhance the reliability of these programs as Toni’s Kitchen continues to build local food security for children, families, and seniors in their three main service towns.
