Chef Lou's Army Has Stepped Back From The Front Lines
After years of dedicated service feeding Monmouth and Ocean County, our mission stands down — for now.
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After years of dedicated service feeding Monmouth and Ocean County, our mission stands down — for now.
When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down restaurants across New Jersey in March 2020, Chef Lou Smith refused to sit still. Within one week, he mobilized 10 chefs ready to open their kitchens. Within two months, 50,000 meals had been delivered to essential workers and people in need across Monmouth and Ocean Counties.
What began as one chef's determination grew into Chef Lou's Army — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition of restaurants, businesses, town leaders, and community partners united against hunger. The Army prepared and distributed over 225,000 free, nutritious, chef-prepared meals to police officers, firefighters, EMS workers, nurses, military veterans, seniors, families, and children throughout the Jersey Shore.
Awarded $1.7 million+ in grants — including three phases of the NJEDA Sustain & Serve NJ program, the RWJ Foundation President's Grant, and many more — Chef Lou's Army distributed over 2,000 meals per week at seven locations across Toms River, Asbury Park, Lakewood, Oceangate, Bayville, and Point Pleasant.
Beyond meals, the Army's Resource Program connected recipients with over 200 nonprofit organizations and government assistance programs, helping families recover from crisis and improve their quality of life.
Born from emergency, built on generosity, and powered by community — Chef Lou's Army served the Jersey Shore with pride.
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