Nourishing Hope and Heart in Each Other: Continuing this Work

Nourishing hope and heart: Food security work, inspiration, and connection with each other are all needed now more than ever. The NJ Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA) asks, “What is a quote, meditation, poem, lyric, phrase or thought that you’re adopting as a mantra for your part in this collective work or for your own work/life harmony in 2025?”

Heather Thompson, Executive Director of Table to Table (tabletotable.org) and Jemmell’z Washington-Rock, OFSA Program Manager (nj.gov/foodsecurity) contribute their inspirations in this video. Listen to their offerings, breathe, and take any encouragement and community you need.

Table to Table is New Jersey’s first and largest food rescue nonprofit, bridging the gap between food being wasted and people facing food insecurity. We bring rescued fresh, nutritious food to 303 community partners, including social service organizations, pantries, shelters, fresh produce markets and centralized distribution hubs. Food is provided free of charge. Through this, Table to Table touches a diversity of those in need, including families, children, veterans, and older adults, making good nutrition accessible while serving as a stimulus for other longer-term benefits. Since 1999 we have rescued more than 120,700 tons of nutritious food—enough for 241,400,846 million meals—and delivered it to our neighbors in need, saving over 544 metric tons of methane saved.

Related:

• New Jersey School Food Waste Solution Leader Heather Thompson
• How One Livingston Teen Is Rescuing More Than Just Leftovers
• Agarwal Addressed Food Waste With New ResQFood Program
• 2 New Jersey Nonprofits Team Up to Distribute Food to Those in Need
• New Jersey School Food Waste Solution Leader Heather Thompson