Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK)

It's time to register for the 12th Annual Mercer County Turkey Trot is just three weeks away! On Thanksgiving morning, Thursday November 28, join hundreds of your friends and neighbors for a 5K race or 1 mile walk at Mercer County Park in West Windsor. Participants can celebrate the holiday and raise funds for local hunger relief organizations like TASK! Everyone at every pace is invited to participate in this special Mercer County tradition for an event that puts the FUN in fundraising! For more information and to register, visit: https://lnkd.in/eXKKT87t

Thank you to Rick Fiore and his band for playing at TASK this week! Rick, who hails from Trenton, plays during dinner service several times during the year, thanks to a grant from the New York Jazz Foundation. Diners love listening to the melodic and exciting jazz tunes while enjoying one of TASK’s signature meals!

This week, TASK was privileged to host the team from Athene's Conshohocken office for a day of service. In addition to a morning spent serving lunch and working in TASK's dining room, the group also arrived with a generous donation of 20 Lenovo Thinkpads, docking stations and chargers for use in our digital literacy program! Now, students in our beginning and intermediate classes have a device they can use for learning as well as a computer to bring home upon completion of the course. “These laptops are so critical to our ability to bridge the digital divide," says TASK Digital Education & Resource Coordinator Carolyn Burke (pictured center in black alongside the team from Athene). "Now, students not only have their own personal device on which to practice their skills, but they also have a great incentive that they can bring home and continue to use for their personal and professional success!” TASK is so grateful to Athene for their generosity! If you or your business are interested in learning more about how you can help at TASK, please visit our website: https://lnkd.in/dNKmhFQe

Earlier this month, TASK was pleased to participate in the first Garden State Conference on Food Insecurity, hosted by New Jersey's Office of the Food Security Advocate. Entitled, "Setting a Table for All, for Always," the conference featured a variety of panels and speakers who addressed the rising demand for food amidst the surge in need that many across the nation -- including here in New Jersey -- are experiencing. During the conference, TASK CEO Joyce Campbell (pictured here, in pink) was among a small group interviewed by John Hurdle from NJ Spotlight News. The resulting article, which covers the increase in food insecurity and New Jersey's response, also emphasizes the importance of a coordinated response that is driven by those with lived experience. At TASK, we are proud of our approach to hunger relief -- one that is centered around a philosophy of radical hospitality. We seek to understand our community and their needs, crafting programs and services that are designed based on their feedback and goals. In addition, we ensure that our community's voices are heard and amplified, ensuring that legislators and policymakers develop plans and policies that will truly impact our community in a meaningful way. Said Campbell, “What’s most important is that the people and the policies connect. When you bring someone with their story to a legislator, there is a lot more attention paid because it’s not my story, it’s their story.” To learn more about the statewide conversation and response to hunger, you can read Hurdle's article here: https://lnkd.in/eSsrQUHj

Thank you to the Kiwanis Club of Bordentown for hosting their annual “Socktober” drive! As the weather turns colder, these kinds of basic necessities are needed more and more. Our ability to meet the need is made possible by the generosity of people and communities like Bordentown!

Come visit us at the TASK Food Truck! Mondays through Thursdays, we are on the road and delivering TASK's signature, freshly-prepared meals throughout the Capital City. Stop by to say hello and pick up a delicious, free and nourishing mobile meal!

The Robbinsville team of Global Industrial Company has made a profound impact on our community, and we are so proud to partner with them to turn hunger into hope!

Church & Dwight Co., Inc. knows a thing or two about growth. Headquartered in Ewing, the company is one of the fastest growing consumer goods companies in the world. Their products, including items like deodorant and toothpaste, are well-known to many of us, and also frequently requested by diners who come to eat at TASK. In fact, last year, TASK distributed more than 14,000 hygiene kits to our neighbors in need, the most ever in our history. When the company was planning an activity for their interns this summer, they knew that hygiene products were the perfect starting point. But they didn't stop there: the team also brought TASK's Chief Development Officer Michelle Wexler on-site to speak to the group – representing students from New Jersey and beyond – about trends in food insecurity as well as TASK's work. The group was extremely engaged, asking many meaningful questions to better understand the issues and, as one intern commented, to become a better advocate. After the presentation, the interns put together more than 100 hygiene bags for distribution at TASK. "Through this community service project, our Early Career program participants strengthened their teamwork and project management skills as they worked together to make a positive impact in the local community," said Kathryn Gorski, Campus Recruiting Coordinator. She added, "TASK does wonderful work and offers so many ways to get involved and make a difference. Through our partnership, Church & Dwight is honored to be a part of it!" Despite its global reach, the company has made its support of local nonprofits like TASK an important part of its culture. In addition to service projects like this one, Church & Dwight's Employee Giving Fund has provided consistent financial support to TASK as well. In the weeks following the service project, a handful of interns reached out to discuss volunteering on-site and future projects with TASK. Perhaps just as valuable as their donations, Church & Dwight has provided an equally important resource to our community: inspiration. To learn more about how your business can learn more and support TASK, visit: https://lnkd.in/dNKmhFQe

Every September, during Hunger Action Month, TASK pauses to take a look back at the last fiscal year (which runs from July through June) – an opportunity to reflect on what we're seeing in our community and plan for the future. This past year, we experienced several months of record-breaking activity in our dining room and across our community meal sites. At our Escher Street dining room alone, we experienced a 43 percent increase over the previous year! In addition, we launched the TASK Truck, serving hundreds of mobile meals across Trenton to families, seniors and neighbors in need. Ever wonder what happens to the bagged meals you prepare and donate? Last year, some 64,000 supplemental meals made their way into the hands of thousands of people! We also continue to focus on environmental sustainability. At Escher Street, we are serving meals on reusable dishware and composting our organic waste. In addition, we re-distributed nearly 250,000 pounds of rescued and donated food, including high-quality food that was diverted from local restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores. Most importantly, while we increased our output, we also continued to focus on quality, ensuring that our meals are healthy, varied and tasty. We already know that this year is going to break new records. As we serve more meals, more places, we are committed to maintaining the same high standards, ensuring that our meals are prepared and served with the same care, thoughtfulness and dignity that have become a signature TASK experience over the past 42 years. You can help! Donate today at: https://lnkd.in/ecqQReEZ

Thank you Affinity Federal Credit Union for making TASK a part of your opening celebration. Your donation will make a big impact on our community!