By Claire Drewniak
FeedNJ is coming to Morristown’s Table of Hope on Friday, Oct. 22, 2020.
The nonpartisan campaign aims to provide pandemic relief by raising funds for restaurants to supply meals to people struggling during the economic shutdown.
From 5 pm to 6 pm, FeedNJ volunteers are scheduled to serve meals prepared by Zizza’s Bakery and Deli of Florham Park.
They’ll be at the Table of Hope soup kitchen at Bethel A.M.E. Church, at 59 Spring St. in Morristown.
“I think it’s just cool to support the local business community. They’ve been hit hard in this pandemic, so we get to help out those businesses and provide food for people who need it,” said Dan Knitzer, a spokesman for Soup Kitchen 411, the nonprofit that launched FeedNJ in April.
Soup Kitchen 411 was established in 2015 to connect soup kitchens with those in need.
“Those who regularly attend soup kitchens like Table of Hope aren’t aware beforehand that the meals are restaurant-made, so when they find out they are extra grateful,” he said.
The Morristown event is part of the third “Feeding Friday” for FeedNJ; meals also will be distributed in Paterson, Elizabeth, Trenton and Long Branch.
Typically, between 100 and 130 meals are served at each of these monthly gatherings, Knitzer said.
New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole co-chair FeedNJ.
The Table of Hope has been serving the hungry of Greater Morristown since 2013. Dinners are served there Monday through Friday from 5:30 pm to 7 pm.
Since the pandemic began, Table of Hope and its volunteers have provided nearly 450 tons of food to more than 18,500 area families, according to its parent organization, the Spring Street Community Development Corporation.
