Local Chefs Support Project Self-Sufficiency

Ten of northern New Jersey’s most esteemed chefs were recently recognized for their longtime support of Project Self-Sufficiency, a local non-profit agency which specializes in services for low-income families in Sussex, Warren and Hunterdon counties. Members of the group have supplied gourmet cuisine at various events throughout the years, most notably the large-scale epicurean fundraising event, A Taste of Talent. Their collective effort has not gone unnoticed. “The Board and staff at Project Self-Sufficiency would like to celebrate these wonderfully talented individuals for exercising their culinary philanthropy skills on our behalf,” remarked Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency. “Some of these chefs have supported our agency since its inception, and all have been involved in A Taste of Talent for decades. A Taste of Talent is the cornerstone of our fundraising campaign. The collective efforts of these individuals have made it possible for us to keep our doors open year after year. We are humbled by their support.”

The group recently gathered at Perona Farms to start planning for this year’s A Taste of Talent, which will take place at the dining facility on Monday, April 18th, beginning at 6:00 p.m. This will mark the 20th anniversary of the signature event. Stations from more than 30 of the area’s finest restaurants will be placed throughout Perona Farms, allowing patrons to meet and mingle with the chefs while sampling some of their most renowned dishes.

Perona Farms Executive Chef Kirk Avondoglio will be working alongside representatives from Project Self-Sufficiency to coordinate the restaurants participating in the effort. A longtime collaborator with Project Self-Sufficiency, Avondoglio is pleased to be able to throw his support behind the agency’s largest fundraising event of the year. “What a wonderful event. I look forward to it every year. It’s nice to see all of the chefs come together. There is a lot of camaraderie and it does so much for the people served by Project Self-Sufficiency. It’s their biggest fundraiser of the year.”

Perona Farms is located at 350 Andover-Sparta Road in Andover. To make a contribution to Project Self-Sufficiency, to obtain tickets to “A Taste of Talent,” or to find out more information about the programs and services available at the agency, call 973-940-3500 or 844-807-3500, or visit www.projectselfsufficiency.org.