Trenton Area Soup Kitchen

Saving Money and Saving Time

If you follow TASK on social media, you may have heard of Soup Kitchen 411. They are one of TASK’s newest meal service partners and lately they’ve been working double time to connect soup kitchens to generous restaurants with a desire to donate meals to communities during a time when access to food matters most.

To date, Soup Kitchen 411 has provided TASK with nearly 2500 meals which have helped to supplement its meal production amid a growing need for food in the Trenton area.

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TASK’s Side Door Becomes Vital Hub

The side door at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen is not much to look at. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, its primary use was as an entry/exit and the place for patrons to go when they missed the sit-down meal service. But since the pandemic and its restrictions took hold in the Mercer County region , the side door has become a sort of portal to the one thing that might make a moment or an entire life, a little better.

“Essentially, everything non-food related can be found at the side door,” said TASK Patron and Volunteer Services Specialist Evie Spadafora who works the door every other week.

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Collaborating with Local Organizations Boost Meal Production at TASK

Since suspending the use of its main dining room, TASK has provided more than 1,700 meals each day to hungry children, adults and seniors across the Trenton area. That’s more than 8,000 meals each week – a 70% meal increase from the prior year.

When asked how TASK’s small, yet incredibly efficient kitchen team has managed to keep up with the crawling demand for food in Trenton, Kitchen and Facilities Manager, Paul Jensen, is reluctant to take full credit. He profusely commends the compassionate corps of supporters who have generously donated money, food and other essential items to help TASK’s meal service stay afloat amid the current COVID-19 crisis.

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Emergency Food Sources in Mercer County

TASK is serving to-go meals, from the side door of our main facility Monday-Friday from 10:30a – 2:00p.

Patrons who visit TASK during this time, will receive two meals.

If you need a meal please visit 72 ½ Escher Street, Trenton, NJ 08609 or one of our partners for help.

For a complete list of other emergency food resources available to Mercer County residents, please click the link below.

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TASK Suspends Volunteer and Outreach Activities But Will Continue to Serve Meals

Dear Friends of TASK,

We continue to closely monitor the developments surrounding the COVID-19 “CORONAVIRUS” daily, as we do with any unusual event that affects our family of patrons and supporters. As always, the safety and well-being of those we serve, our staff and the people who make our work possible is of the greatest importance to our organization.

Regrettably, out of an abundance of caution, we are suspending volunteer activities effective Monday, March 16 until further notice. We will make a decision about re-opening our doors to volunteers based on future guidance from experts and public health officials.

THANKS TO TASK’S DEDICATED STAFF TASK WILL PROVIDE MEALS FROM OUR SIDE DOORS, AS OUR DINING ROOM WILL BE CLOSED. IF YOU ARE IN NEED WE ARE LOCATED AT 72 ½ Escher Street in Trenton.

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Comcast Newsmakers: Food Insecurity in Mercer County

With the New Year right around the corner, TASK looks forward opportunities to better serve hungry families in our community.

But for those facing food insecurity, thoughts of a new year may not be nearly as optimistic — as many Trenton residents face new, and potentially more complicated challenges of food insecurity once changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are implemented in April of 2020.

Recently, TASK’s Executive Director, Joyce Campbell, sat down with news reporter Jill Horner at Comcast Newsmakers to discuss food-insecurity in Mercer County and more specifically, how recent renovations to the TASK facility are helping the organization better address issues that low-income families face in our community.

Click here to view Joyce Campbell’s interview.

Latest SNAP cuts would be devastating to the vulnerable

In New Jersey, some 673, 966 people receive SNAP benefits. Under the new rules, to take affect April 1, 2020, states will only be able to seek waivers if the unemployment rate is over 6%, and waiver applications will require complex data and greater specificity. This means 12,000 adults statewide may lose $160 in monthly nutritional benefits.

In her recent Trentonian op-ed, TASK’s Executive Director, Joyce Campbell explores the ways recent SNAP budget cuts may affect the lives of thousands of families statewide. Click here to read more.