Over the years, I have seen many Thanksgiving Days, and they have come in many shapes and sizes, from the full-dress Norman Rockwell dinners with very happy family folks, to a leisurely luncheon at a special restaurant with good friends, to just a simple table for two at home. But, I’ve never had a Thanksgiving Day meal offered by the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK), at 70 1/2 Escher Street, off Southard Street in Trenton; or at any of TASK’s satellite meal locations. Simply put, TASK feeds those who are hungry in the Trenton area and offers programs to encourage self-sufficiency and improve the quality of life of its patrons.
Two things are instantly visible when you walk into the main hall-like space at 70 1/2 Escher Street: first, the incredible of number of volunteers and their incredibly warm, professional presence, and then the unmistakable look of appreciation on the faces of each patron. Indeed, the numbers for last September alone are very impressive: 10,247 meals served at headquarters and 9,497 served at satellites, 4,370 emergency meals provided individually, and 1,680 weekend meal packages delivered to local school children. “Turning hunger into hope,” as they say.
TASK is a non-profit 501(c)3 entity that relies upon small donations from average people, all across Mercer County and the region, for most of its income. Charitable and philanthropic donors make up the rest of its budget.
Next Tuesday, December 3, is Trenton’s official, Mayor-proclaimed #GivingTRENTON Day, a special day for each of us to decide just what we might give thanks for, and then go do it. More to come on this…
For more information about TASK, visit: http://www.trentonsoupkitchen.org.
