How nonprofit Soup Kitchen 411 went from serving 3,000 meals/month to 50,000 without a single full-time staffer
HIGHTSTOWN, N.J., June 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A program launched in the early days of the pandemic to combat rising hunger and plummeting local restaurant revenues has grown its activity more than tenfold over the past three months. FeedNJ, the flagship program of hunger-awareness non-profit Soup Kitchen 411, had served 35,000 meals between mid-April 2020 and mid-March 2021, utilizing small, tax-deductible donations and sizable corporate sponsorships; in both May and June 2021, it bought over 50,000.
"We scaled up rapidly by tenaciously contacting local restaurant owners, local elected officials, chambers of commerce, and goodwill agencies. Word of mouth has been the biggest way we've grown, with hunger advocates saying you should set up events here, and with this restaurant or this faith-based group," said Jaclyn Krausman, MSW, Program Coordinator for FeedNJ.
FeedNJ launched partnerships with over 50 restaurants and over 25 soup kitchens in its first 11 months, but events and meal purchases were only as often as cash reserves allowed. Upon receiving a $2,000,000 grant from the NJ Economic Development Authority, Krausman was added to the team of two Assistant Program Coordinators and one communications manager, all part-time employees.
"From the first time FeedNJ told me about their program back in the Fall, I knew it was something unique and special," said Mike Giunta, owner of Bayway Catering in Elizabeth, and a Newark firefighter. "Being able to bring back our kitchen crew for more hours, pay bills and have our meals go to people in need checked off so many boxes that aligned with our values, and our kitchen crew puts a lot of love and attention into these meals. It's amazing the volume FeedNJ can coordinate."
Bayway Catering is one of several Union County restaurant partners, delivering meals to Union County distribution sites including St. Joseph's Social Services Center in Elizabeth, and New Destiny Community Development Corporation in Roselle, at recurring weekly events.
"Soup kitchens have been cooking for more and more people every day, often without the use of volunteers, so they were glad to receive these meals," said New Jersey Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, Chairman of FeedNJ, "and our restaurant partners are thrilled to be able to cook, and recoup some of their pandemic-related losses cooking for folks who need the aid."
Coughlin, a Democrat, co-chairs the initiative with Port Authority Chairman and former Republican State Senator Kevin O'Toole. Many of the program's distribution partners are local elected officials, who arrange distributions.
"Hunger isn't a partisan issue, so it's crucial to recognize and partner with allies across the state," said Chairman Kevin O'Toole. "We've locked in the perfect program staff, restaurant and distribution partners who've proved they can direct these meals to where they are needed most."
With record income inequality and people unable to purchase raw ingredients, let alone restaurant-prepared meals, the NJ Restaurant and Hospitality Association predicted that 40% of restaurants would close within the first 15 months of the pandemic.
To date, the program has served almost 200,000 restaurant-prepared meals across 13 counties.
"We try to schedule the same quantity of meals to go to the same location at the same time every week. Our biggest weekly event is 1,500 meals Wednesdays at Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, which we enlist three or four restaurants to fulfill, though some soup kitchens and outreach agencies serve smaller numbers of clientele, so we reserve them whatever quantity they need," said Krausman."Our small team uses practical Excel spreadsheets and twice-weekly team calls to stay organized and quality check each week's orders."
What comes next for the FeedNJ program depends on funding. With a $150,000 Middlesex County grant set to expire on June 30, 2021 and the $2,000,000 NJEDA grant expiring July 31, 2021, the program is doubling its fundraising efforts across the private and public sectors.
Over 30 local, national and international corporations have donated to support FeedNJ.
FeedNJ is operated by Soup Kitchen 411. Anyone can make tax-deductible donations to Soup Kitchen 411 and follow @SoupKitchen411 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
SOURCE Soup Kitchen 411
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