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Personal Chef: Kwame Onwuachi Brings His Own Story to Table to Table’s Fundraiser to Fight Food Insecurity
James Beard Award winner, who relied on free school lunch as a kid in Bronx, told donors why food rescue matters to him.
Editor’s note: This story originally appeared on binje.com. Click here to read the complete story.
The numbers on hunger in New Jersey are startling. More than 1.2 million people in the state don’t have enough to eat, according to Table to Table.
It’s why organizations such as Table to Table matter.
At Table to Table’s Chefs Gala, Kwame Onwuachi, one of the most accomplished chefs in the country, spoke about growing up in Bronx. When his mother fell on hard times, they went to public schools in the summer for free lunch, something his mother was embarrassed about. He wasn’t, however.
That’s why he was eager to serve as honoree.
“It means so much to me to be a part of something like this,” Onwuachi said to the more than 300 guests at The Rockleigh. “I think the beautiful thing about Table to Table, is that they’re just trying to feed people at the end of the day.”
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 276 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 133,271 tons of nutritious food — enough for 266,542,863 million meals — and delivered it to our neighbors in need, saving over 612 metric tons of methane saved.
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