$40K Grant Will Help Ease Food Insecurity In West Orange

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of Toni’s Kitchen. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

The Grotta Fund for Older Adults, Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Metrowest NJ, is making a vital investment to address rising food insecurity in West Orange through a $40,000 grant to Toni’s Kitchen. This support will strengthen partnerships and enhance access to fresh, healthy food for older adults facing mounting economic pressures and increasingly constrained resources.

Thanks to the Grotta Fund, Toni’s Kitchen will expand food support in West Orange, in collaboration with senior housing buildings, healthcare organizations, faith communities, and the local health department. The organization will expand reliable access to food tailored to the particular health needs of older adults. New and enlarged mobile markets will operate at health clinics, community centers, and faith organizations to provide fresh produce and groceries at trusted local sites. As well, nutritious food will be delivered to older adults in senior housing where it is most needed. Additionally, through partnerships with programs offering senior-focused lectures, classes, and social activities, older adults will be provided with healthy meals where they learn, connect, and fortify.

The timing in receiving this grant was excellent as $1 trillion in federal cuts starting this past October will impact Medicaid, affordable housing, and food assistance. By strengthening its network of community partnerships, the organization seeks to proactively build a framework designed to reach older adults before they slip into food insecurity, ensuring support is in place as reductions take effect.

“We know 2026 holds significant challenges for older adults. This grant-supported program is an innovative way to strengthen food access and invest in the health and well-being of older residents in West Orange,” said Ilene Isaacs, the Grotta Fund Chair. “This work is at the heart of the Grotta Fund’s mission to meet the needs of all older adults, enrich their lives, and support aging well in their homes and communities. Having reliable access to nutritious food is fundamental to stability and health, and we are pleased to partner with Toni’s Kitchen in this work.”

“Many older neighbors living on fixed incomes are at risk of being forced into impossible choices between food, housing, medication, and keeping the heat on—choices that put their health, stability, and independence at risk,” said Anne Mernin, Executive Director of Toni’s Kitchen. “We are deeply grateful to the Grotta Fund for providing the resources needed to expand programs and partnerships that increase access to healthy food and ensure older adults in West Orange are supported and connected. No one should be left to navigate these challenges alone.”

Toni’s Kitchen provided over two million meals locally in 2025. To learn more about how you can get involved, visit https://toniskitchen.org/.

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