When the team of designers at Town & Country Kitchen and Bath in Red Bank cooked up The Giving Tables, a fundraiser that would showcase beautiful, seasonal table themes and help the community, they didn’t have to look far for their chosen charity.
“We wanted to create an event by, in and for our local community. As a kitchen design company, it seemed natural to choose Lunch Break, which helps feed so many,” says Kaila Williams, a TCKB designer. “And it’s down the street from our showroom — it doesn’t get more local than that.”
Lunch Break, founded 32 years ago, is a one-stop resource for families and individuals in need, serving over 60,000 hot meals per year — including Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas Day brunch — and providing a food pantry, meals for the homebound, a Suited for Success program, holiday toys for children and more.
The Giving Tables event brought tabletop lovers into TCKB for eight days of browsing and shopping in June. The entry fee and a portion of sales from the stylish pop-up shop onsite — plus nonperishable groceries collected — all went to Lunch Break.
On opening night, the TCKB showroom was abuzz as the stunning designer tables stole the show. Ticket holders toured 11 “Seasons by the Sea” themed tableaus, among them “Into the Woods,” a celebration of light and texture by Janet Andrews Moss and Colleen Hennen of The Feathered Nest; “Summer Cerf” by ASPIRE Metro editor in chief Amy Sneider; “Fall of Nature” by Laurie Manhire of The Little Fish Company; and “Emerald Winter Seas” by Laurie Subers of Designs by Laurie. Katie Benson of Table Setting Is My Life was also onsite with an eye-catching display.
“We serve every town in Monmouth County,” notes Gwendolyn Love, executive director of Lunch Break, which helps seniors, the unemployed and those on fixed incomes. “People are trying to make ends meet in this very expensive county, and we are so thankful that Town & Country chose us. Whatever anyone does for Lunch Break empowers us to do more for the community.”
Guests enjoyed food and drinks donated by vendors, including Danny’s Grill & Wine Bar and Runa Peruvian Cuisine, both in Red Bank, Tavolo Pronto in Fair Haven and Momento Italiano Finest Coffee in Hoboken, which supplied an espresso machine to brew steaming cupfuls.
Tabletop photography by Danny Sanchez of Redbank www.dannysanchez.com
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