Someone Stole Montclair Soup Kitchen’s Van; Toni’s Needs Help

MONTCLAIR, NJ — To whoever stole Toni’s Kitchen’s van… the people who will suffer from the theft include in-need families, local senior citizens and children in after-school programs, its staff says.

The Montclair-based pantry and soup kitchen – a staple of the community – delivers food for several hundred in-need families every week. Crucial to their operations was a Ford Transit Connect delivery van, which helped staff and volunteers to double their outreach efforts over the past few years.

But late Monday afternoon, a thief walked into Toni’s Kitchen’s home base – St. Luke’s Church on South Fullerton Avenue – took several checks, cash and keys, then drove off in the van, the soup kitchen said.

On Friday, Toni’s Kitchen issued a statement about the van theft, which is causing a “major disruption” for its staff.

“The van keeps us going,” said Toni’s Kitchen Director Anne Mernin. “It allows us to take in food donations from local groceries and shops and turn that surplus food into healthy meals for our soup kitchen and outreach programs. It is busy seven days a week and is a hard-working member of our TK family.”

• See related article: Toni's Turns 35: Montclair Soup Kitchen Has ‘1,000 Volunteers’

Mernin said that a local family donated the van to Toni’s Kitchen in 2014.

“Toni’s is hoping this gets resolved quickly,” the soup kitchen’s staff stated Friday. “If anyone spots a white, Ford Transit Connect with ‘Toni’s Kitchen’ markings, please call the Montclair Police Department.”

Montclair police previously said that the suspect was described as a white male from 25 to 35-years-old with dark hair, wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt with red accents, black pants and white sneakers.

• See related article: Man In Sweatshirt Steals Van From Montclair Church Lot

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Photo: Toni’s Kitchen

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