Greetings,

Together We've Done it Again!

Thank you for helping to make this another record-breaking year for Table to Table. With the continued generosity of our financial supporters and food donors and the tireless work of our dedicated drivers, our goal of delivering enough food to serve 5 million meals has been reached! We resolve to continue our fight against hunger in our community next year by rescuing even more fresh and perishable food and delivering it to those who need it most. We recognize that this has been a year of great financial uncertainty. While recent economic turbulence may have affected many throughout the area, our supporters have remained extremely generous and committed to our service. The work has never been more challenging, nor the response more extraordinary. Everyone at Table to Table thanks you for your continued support and wishes you a joyous holiday season and a healthy and happy new year!

in this issue

News & Events Did You Know? Featured Recipe: Filet Oskar (Morton’s The Steakhouse)

2nd Annual Bag a Lunch Campaign Concludes on a High Note!

Businesses and schools throughout Northeast New Jersey were blanketed this past October 24th with an abundance of lunch bags for this year's Bag a Lunch, Help a Bunch campaign. The event was generously sponsored by the NJ Nets, North Jersey Media Group, Whole Foods Market, WDHA 105.5 and Panera Bread, and raised more than $60,000, a 50% increase over the 2006 campaign.
Ramapo Ridge Middle School Fresh Food Drive Surpasses Greatest Expectations!

The Student Council members of Ramapo Ridge Middle School in Mahwah outdid themselves again this year as they inspired students, parents, and faculty to contribute more than 3,000 pounds of exceptional quality fresh food to their holiday food drive. Scheduled for Thanksgiving week, Table to Table’s food recipients were extremely grateful to receive many of the necessary fixings for holiday dinners, including fresh turkeys, vegetables, fruit, and fresh milk. Also donated were pizzas and many pounds of pasta prepared by Jersey Boys Restaurant in Mahwah, owned by a Ramapo Ridge parent.

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Filet Oskar (Morton’s The Steakhouse)

The holiday season calls for a touch of sophistication, and that’s precisely what you'll serve your guests, with this elegant filet mignon garnished with asparagus, crabmeat and Bernaise sauce.

 Get the recipe

Table to Table’s annual Holiday Gift Wrap Event, sponsored this year by The Shops at Riverside and 201 Magazine, began on November 23rd and continues through December 24th at The Shops at Riverside in Hackensack, New Jersey.

Volunteers will be on hand from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday to make sure your gifts look as beautiful on the outside as they do on the inside. All proceeds will support Table to Table’s food rescue program, so why not free yourself of the burden of wrapping gifts, while your generosity helps ease the burden weighing so heavily upon those in our community who are suffering from hunger.

And special thanks and very Happy Holidays to the generous supporter who brought in 58 gifts to be wrapped!

Hunger in the News

The demand for food from Table to Table has never been greater. Food banks, soup kitchens and other places that serve the hungry are facing a critical situation according to a November 30th NY Times article, Food Banks in a Squeeze Tighten Belts. As the demand for food continues to spiral upwards, our food banks are plagued by rising costs, decreased availability of food, and reduced government assistance. Many have been forced to close, and others are rationing supplies or distributing staples normally reserved for emergency relief. Several food bank spokespeople claimed that conditions this year are the worst they have been in nearly 30 years.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2005, 24.8% of people in Newark, New Jersey were living below the poverty level, making Newark the tenth poorest city in the United States.