Toni’s Kitchen Offers Mobile Markets for Furloughed Workers and SNAP Recipients During Government Shutdown

When the federal government shut down in October, it impacted hundreds of thousands of federal workers who were either furloughed or were forced to work without pay. It also cut SNAP food benefits for 827,000 New Jersey residents, including 60,000 of our neighbors in Essex County. In response to the shutdown, Toni's Kitchen quickly set up three mobile markets in Montclair, Bloomfield, and West Orange exclusively for furloughed workers and SNAP recipients. These three markets gave these suddenly at-risk populations in our area access to critical food they needed during the shutdown. Thanks to everyone in our community who donated funds and food during the shutdown and thanks to our supporters and volunteers who stepped up in this incredibly challenging moment to make sure that our neighbors have the food they need to be healthy and strong.