HIGHTSTOWN, NJ — Approaching the one year anniversary of it’s FeedNJ program that purchases restaurant-prepared meals and serves them free of charge at local soup kitchens, FeedNJ has received several generous donations from New Jersey businesses wanting to join the fights against small business closures and food insecurity.
Fairview Insurance Associates, a full-service insurance agency based in Verona and Cherry Hill established in 1970, recently donated over $10,000, on top of donations in 2020, while O’Toole Scrivo LLC, a top-rated legal firm operating in New Jersey and New York, donated $5,000, on top of contributions last year. Newark-based powerhouse legal firm Genova Burns and national public affairs organization Mercury Public Affairs LLC, which has deep roots in New Jersey, each donated $1,000 to the initiative.
“We are proud to partner with communities and small businesses across the state, and we feel a connection and an obligation to the small businesses battling the economic challenges of COVID-19. That is why we partnered with FeedNJ last year, and we have been incredibly impressed with their work from day one,” said John Graham, CEO, Fairview Insurance Associates. “We are thrilled to support their unique vision, feeding local communities while supporting local landmark restaurants, and proud to continue supporting this work.”
Started last April in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, FeedNJ is operated by SoupKitchen411, a non-profit hub for anti-hunger advocates to raise awareness about the epidemic of food insecurity in America and as a database of soup kitchens and other places where free meals are regularly served. SoupKitchen411 holds a Platinum rating by Guidestar, the highest-offered.
“As a State Senator, and now as Chairman of the Port Authority, I’ve seen how hunger affects entire communities, and how little resources many soup kitchens and other communal spaces offering hot meals have at their disposal,” said Kevin O’Toole, Managing Partner at O’Toole Scrivo, and Chairman of the FeedNJ campaign. “The FeedNJ program helps them at this critical time by providing many of the hot meals their overworked staff would otherwise have to prepare, and allows them to focus on serving meals, greeting their regular and new clients, and caring for their own mental health.”
“FeedNJ recently received an exceedingly generous grant from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, which must be used within a four month period. Donations from Fairview Insurance Associates, O’Toole, Scrivo LLP., Genova Burns, and Mercury, LLC. will enable the program to continue buying meals in bulk after the EDA’s grant period ends, therefore ensuring long-standing business for local eateries,” said SoupKitchen411 Co-Founder and CFO Philip Gentile.
To date, the FeedNJ campaign has served over 35,000 meals purchased from local restaurants which have been served at soup kitchens and collective spaces for free, and plans to expand operations to all 21 New Jersey counties in 2021. Restaurants are invited to partner with FeedNJ by visiting https://soupkitchen411.com/contact/ or emailing info@soupkitchen411.com.
“Our firm has always prided itself on supporting local communities when they’ve faced adversity. At a time when restaurants are struggling and New Jerseyans are making the impossible choices of how to spend limited income, FeedNJ’s work continues to be critically important,” said Genova Burns Chairman Angelo Genova and firm Partner Rebecca Freed.
“FeedNJ is more than a charity, it is an investment in the people of our state recovering from this unprecedented challenge,” said Mercury Public Affairs, LLC Partners Michael Soliman and Mike DuHaime. “We are honored to be a part of the FeedNJ campaign to connect businesses with people in need, providing meals where they are needed most.”
Individuals passionate about food insecurity are asked to consider making tax-deductible donations to SoupKitchen411 here and follow @SoupKitchen411 on Twitter and Facebook.
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