“Babs Siperstein Day of Service” Honors the Late LGBTQ+ Leader

NJ’s LGBTQ+ Community Comes Together to Serve the Needy at Toni’s Kitchen

Montclair, NJ, February 12, 2019 — In honor of the death of LGBTQ+ matriarch Barbra “Babs” Siperstein, New Jersey LGBTQ+ community leaders have organized a day of service to carry on her work of helping those who have been left behind. With the support of the NJ LGBT Chamber of Commerce and in partnership with Toni’s Kitchen, The Pride Network has launched a service effort to address food insecurity in Montclair, NJ– which affects approximately 1/5 children in the area, according to data from Toni’s Kitchen.

The Pride Network offers young LGBTQ+ leaders opportunities for personal transformation and professional development to create change within themselves and in our communities. For more information, visit thepridenetwork.org/about. The NJ LGBT Chamber of Commerce serves to connect LGBT professionals and business owners with the resources they need to succeed while also to connecting them with the New Jersey community at large. For more information, visit njlgbtchamber.org/about.

“Babs’s humble commitment to public service is a model for all people who strive to empower others and serve with purpose in the world. The effects of Babs’s legacy will be felt for generations; and, going forward, we hope to honor her memory by serving those in need of compassion in action” says Executive Director of The Pride Network, Jacob Rudolph.

After two decades of pioneering advocacy, Siperstein was fortunate enough to sit beside Governor Phil Murphy as he signed the Babs Sipersten Law into effect, only two days before her death at age 76. The namesake legislation has made New Jersey only the 17^th state in the nation to permit transgender citizens to update the gender listed on their birth records. The legislation would be Babs’s final gift to the LGBTQ+ community.

“By coordinating this day of service with The Pride Network, we are providing the opportunity for our members and community to engage and give back on a local level,” says NJ LGBT Chamber of Commerce Board Member, Stephen Blazejewski. “Toni’s Kitchen’s Backpack Program provides weekly backpacks filled with healthy non-perishables to local children in need, and we can all play a part in supporting vulnerable youth.”

On February 24, the Babs Siperstein Day of Service event will take place at Toni’s Kitchen in Montclair, NJ from 10-11:30 a.m.

Highly requested donation items include peanut butter (no glass jars), pasta, pasta sauce (no glass jars), healthy cereal, rice, beans, snack bars, raisins, oatmeal, and tuna.

Volunteers are welcome and must RSVP via email to jrudolph@thepridenetwork.org.

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About The Pride Network: The Pride Network offers young LGBTQ+ leaders opportunities for personal transformation and professional development to create change within themselves and in our communities. Through a competitive application process, The Pride Network awards Social Innovation and Impact Grants to LGBTQ+ college students with creative and sustainable solutions to local issues. Through direct investment, mentorship, and local engagement, The Pride Network helps cultivate transformation within new leaders and in our society. For more information, please visit http://thepridenetwork.org or connect with The Pride Network on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

About NJ LGBT Chamber of Commerce: The NJ LGBT Chamber of Commerce is New Jersey’s only LGBTQ business organization dedicated to strengthening LGBT businesses in the New Jersey tri-state area. The New Jersey LGBT Chamber of Commerce increases the economic staying-power of it’s members and allies and facilitates successful business collaboration. We are a platform for business visionaries, and the first stop for LGBT entrepreneurs and allies seeking to advance and access opportunity and resources. Join the New Jersey LGBT Chamber of Commerce to connect, collaborate & leverage business opportunities. For more information, please visit http://njlgbtchamber.org or connect with the NJ LGBT Chamber of Commerce on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.