Providing Clothing to Those in Need in our Community a Big Part of Toni’s Kitchen Mission

At Toni's Kitchen, a large part of our mission is to provide residents in need in Montclair, Bloomfield and West Orange with access and connections to programs and resources that encourage healthy, independent lives. One of the ways we do that is to work to provide reliable access to appropriate, good-quality clothing. Toni's makes clothing available in two main ways: offering it to guests following our soup kitchen meals and during Choice Pantry grocery distributions, and through "Toni's Closet," a shop of Toni's Kitchen.

The clothing Toni's provides comes from the many, many generous donations we receive from the community throughout the year. Dozens of volunteers sort through and prepare the donations for distribution to our guests.

Maggie Rabelo, a staff member of Toni's Kitchen, coordinates the distribution of clothing to guests after soup kitchen meals and at Choice Pantry. Maggie says clothes are usually distributed once a week and a lot of care is taken to make sure the process of making clothes available is done in ways that respects the dignity of our guests. All kinds of clothes are available and attention is paid to providing clothes that are appropriate to the season. In colder months, warm sweatshirts, hats, gloves and outerwear are available. Shirts, pants, socks and undergarments are usually available all year round. Children's clothes are also offered on a regular basis. Items are available in a variety of sizes to give guests the opportunity to find the most appropriate clothes for them.

Toni's Closet is a shop that sells donated clothes and household items at very low cost to families and students, giving them an opportunity to choose clothing most appropriate to their needs and preferences. Proceeds from sales at Toni's Closet help support the food ministry of Toni's Kitchen. There are all kinds of items available: clothes (for women, men, and children), shoes, fashion accessories, jewelry, toys, and housewares like cooking items, dishware, paintings, and frames and more (clothing and shoes make up the majority of the items sold). Each of the areas of the Closet has a volunteer lead who manages what items are put up for sale, the pricing of items, and the layout of the items in the store for their area. The hours of the Closet are coordinated with the hours that Toni's Kitchen is open so that guests that are attending the soup kitchen meal or at Choice Pantry are also able to visit the Closet if they choose.

The volunteers who run the Closet work to make the environment of the shop a bright and engaging place. The Closet has a social aspect to it and there is a lot of engagement among the shoppers. Toni's Closet has also attracted thrift store shoppers in the region. The "Stunning NJ Homes" website said: "If you love a good fashion hunt then Toni's is the place to go."

Toni's Closet frequently has discount sales on items, and over the last few years, has only lowered prices to make items in the shop more accessible to shoppers.

Toni's Closet is so pleased to repurpose the generous donations of clothes we receive to provide dignity and accessibility to a wide variety of food insecure populations in our community. We are so grateful to everyone who donates clothing to Toni's Kitchen. 

To see when you can donate clothes to Toni's Kitchen, or visit Toni's Closet, please click here.