In The Beginning

Beginning in April 2020 with initial support from the Bergen County Prosecutor's office, Chef John Vitale (Caffe Anello, Westwood) and his family cooked and delivered homemade hot meals to our frontline health care workers who dedicated themselves to those affected with COVID-19.  Chef Johnny asked people to purchase meals for 10-50 doctors and nurses, at $10 a meal.  Chef Johnny personally delivered over 48,000 meals from April 2020 to October 2021.  All but 20% of the funds were used to prepare and deliver homemade hot meals.  The 20% was used to help support small businesses in Westwood and the greater Pascack Valley small business districts.  This allowed for a three-way impact: feeding frontline workers, helping small business locally, as well as helping his own restaurant get back on track once small business was permitted to reopen.

​

In June 2020, as hospitals began to settle in, they stopped accepting prepared meals and food donations.  With that, Chef Johnny and Anello Feeds First pivoted focus to the overwhelming need for food in food pantries.  He continued his personal commitment to feeding people and to date Anello Feeds First has prepared and delivered over 106,000 homemade hot meals to those in need.

Now

During a conversation in early December 2023 the push to grow Anello Feeds First began.  With growth comes the opportunity to feed and support more people in need.

* Our mission statement was formally introduced in December 2023 *

"to provide, with dignity, hot meals to those in need

in an effort to end food insecurity in our communities"

With the bigger plan now in motion, a founding board of 5 members was established and in March 2024, Anello Feeds First Inc. officially became a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.  This allows Anello Feeds First and its family of supporters to reach and feed even more people; thereby aiding Chef Johnny and his team in the fight against food insecurity staying in-line with his initial concept of homemade hot meals always served with dignity.

​

​