Media

Help Feed the Hungry, One Lunch at a Time

West Essex Tribune – October 20, 2022

“Bag a Lunch, Help a Bunch” is a grassroots initiative that invites individuals, corporate employees, and students in schools to donate the equivalent of their lunch money for a day, a week, a month, or more to help Table to Table feed those who need it most. Every dollar raised provides ten healthy meals, said Ilene Isaacs, a Livingston resident who is the executive director of the organization. This year, Amazon will match the first $25,000 in individual donations. Along with a $30,000 match for student donations, The Bernard and Geraldine Segal Foundation Award for Student Philanthropy will be awarded to the highest fundraising school. “Inflation, disproportionately high living costs in this region, and continued concerns about COVID are just a few of the arduous factors contributing to Northern New Jersey’s alarming food insecurity,” said Isaacs. Table to Table is New Jersey’s first food rescue organization. It collects fresh and perishable food which would otherwise be wasted and delivers it to organizations that serve people experiencing hunger in Bergen, Hudson, Essex, and Passaic counties. “Bag a Lunch, Help a Bunch is an easy way for individuals, schools, and companies to be a part of the solution. By donating what you’d spend on lunch for a day, week, or more, our hungry neighbors can receive the helping hand they truly need.” Bag a Lunch, Help a Bunch events can include competitions among different classes in schools or departments within a corporation.

To learn more about participating in or hosting an event, go to https://tabletotable.org/bagalunch/ or email Amy Epstein at aepstein@tabletotable.org. To donate, go to https://tabletotable.org/?form=maindonate