Assemblywoman Shama Haider Visits Toni’s Kitchen

On Wednesday, September 17, Toni's Kitchen, a food ministry of St. Luke's Church, was pleased to host Assemblywoman Shama Haider, Deputy Majority Leader and Chair of the NJ Assembly's Children, Families and Food Security (ACF) Committee, along with Joyce Campbell, Director of the statewide Community Kitchens Coalition ("CKC") and Carrie Kitchen-Santiago, CEO of Cathedral Kitchen in Camden. Asw. Haider's visit was part of her interest in understanding how members of CKC, a group of 9 of the largest statewide community kitchens, are doing and the challenges they see for food insecure residents who need prepared meals.

Assemblywoman Haider has a long-standing passion for ensuring all NJ residents have reliable access to healthy food. Her interest in visiting Toni's Kitchen and understanding the work of the CKC is part of her desire to understand the needs and successes of those working closest with food insecure populations.

"I introduced AJR-229 to reframe how we think about our Right to Adequate Food," said Asw. Haider. "In New Jersey, we must work to promote food security, streamline our public assistance programs, and invest in our farmers." Providing fresh, healthy food is an important part of serving residents without housing or appropriate food storage capabilities.

During a robust discussion with CKC members, Joyce Campbell emphasized "NJ has been a leader in food security, but yet the demand is difficult to meet. Our Coalition members are concerned that Federal cuts to basic nutrition programs like SNAP, will leave more families hungry. We are poised to work with you and our elected officials to ensure all residents have adequate food." Carrie Kitchen-Santiago noted that "only by understanding the diverse populations needing food support can effective solutions be implemented."

Click here to learn more about food insecurity in New Jersey.