09 Feb Adele H. LaTourette Resigns as Director of Hunger Free New Jersey
February 9, 2022, Englewood NJ Center for Food Action and Hunger Free New Jersey announced today that Adele H. LaTourette has officially resigned from her role as Director of Hunger Free New Jersey.
In her statement, LaTourette explained, “While I’m leaving CFA, it will never truly leave me. And I look forward to continuing this journey with Hunger Free New Jersey on a new path, a parallel road, working in partnership in my new role at the Community Food Bank of New Jersey on our shared mission to end hunger and food insecurity in the Garden State.”
Originally known as the Statewide Emergency Food and Anti-Hunger Network and then the New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition, in her role LaTourette grew the organization from a core group of 30 food pantries to a network of more than 1,000 pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, social service organizations and advocacy groups.
Over the years, LaTourette forged productive partnerships with policymakers at all levels, while building a strong network of educated, engaged advocates across multiple issue areas and disciplines.
These efforts ultimately transformed the landscape of food assistance in New Jersey over four decades and turned Hunger Free New Jersey into the most trusted, influential anti-hunger advocacy group in the state – one of the most effective in the nation.
Her accomplishments are many and include school breakfast expansion, resulting in a 73 percent increase in the number of children receiving breakfast each school day; more federal dollars back to New Jersey through expansion of various federal nutrition programs, increased SNAP eligibility through various administrative and legislative changes; and providing more low-income seniors with access to food assistance.
CFA’s Executive Director, Patricia Espy says, “Under Adele’s leadership Hunger Free New Jersey has achieved significant wins on behalf of children, seniors and everyone experiencing hunger in our State. She is a leading voice in the important work of making sure all New Jerseyans have access to healthy food every single day. The Board of Directors of Center for Food Action applaud the outstanding dedication and achievements LaTourette has brought to Hunger Free New Jersey and the people of our State.”
Hunger Free New Jersey takes a comprehensive approach to solving hunger through a combination of state and federal advocacy and local grassroots activism. CFA is opening a search for its next HFNJ director.
About Hunger Free New Jersey:
Hunger Free New Jersey is the statewide component of Center for Food Action, which works to change policy and practice to ensure all New Jerseyans have healthy food to eat, every single day.