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Causes: Adult Education, Education, Food, Food Programs

Mission: The Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (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.

Results: Last year, TASK served 195,000 meals to the truly needy. While our main facility is located in North Trenton, we also partner with churches and social service agencies to provide meal service from satellite locations in South Trenton, West Trenton, Hightstown, and Princeton. TASK serves over 4,000 meals each week. Our Adult Education Program (AEP) has about 100 students and seventy volunteer tutors. This past year, twenty-one students passed the GED test; nine are taking college courses, two have entered job training programs, four are now gainfully employed. Over the course of a year, more than half of our students improve reading and/or math by at least one grade level. TASK’s performing arts group, The SHARE Project, improves participant self-esteem and provides access to the performing arts. The group meets twice a week and performs live music and original poetry about thirty times a year at various venues throughout the area. The TASK Social Worker sees about 350 clients each month, making hundreds of referrals to help clients find employment, affordable housing, enter rehabilitation programs, and fill medical prescriptions. TASK's Thanksgiving and Holiday “Adopt A Family” programs assist approximately 100 families with children. Through our Patron Services, TASK distributed 2,600 hygiene kits (20 hygiene kits each day) including soap, shampoo, deodorant, razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a washcloth. Due to high demand and low supply, each patron may receive a hygiene kit only once a month. Other programs that we provide include mail distribution, phone/fax machine usage, Internet access in our computer lab, Arts & Ideas Program, Holiday Gift Distribution, Patron Birthday Celebration, etc. For seven consecutive years, TASK has been awarded the highest 4-star rating from Charity Navigator for operating efficiently and for consistently executing its mission in a fiscally responsible way.

Target demographics: Those who come to TASK include the elderly, the addicted, the mentally ill, the physically challenged, veterans, recent immigrants, families with children, the working poor, and the newly unemployed. Our services are provided unconditionally.

Geographic areas served: Greater Mercer County, New Jersey

Programs: TASK serves lunch Monday - Friday and dinner Monday - Thursday from our main location on Escher Street. TASK also serves additional dinner Monday - Thursday from satellite locations in South Trenton, Thursdays from West Trenton, Mondays and Thursdays from satellite sites in Hightstown, and Wednesdays in Princeton. We serve approximately 4,000 meals each week. Our meal service is unconditional. The TASK Adult Education Program (AEP) offers one-on-one tutoring Monday - Friday from 9:00am - 11:00am, Monday - Thursday from 2:00pm - 4:00pm, or by appointment. The AEP offers training in basic literacy, basic skills, GED preparation, and computer skills. This program was established in 1992 and has helped hundreds of individuals improve basic skills, pass the GED test, enter job training programs, and obtain employment. TASK's performing arts program, The SHARE Project, aims to provide access to the Arts and to use the performing arts as a tool to improve the self-esteem of participants. The group meets Mondays for a jam session followed by an open mic and Thursdays to read, perform, and critique original creative writing. Other TASK services include a full-time, on-site Social Worker, Hygiene Kit Distribution, Special Holiday Programs for Children, Phone/Mail/Fax Machine Service, Arts & Ideas Program, and Patron Birthday Celebrations.
72 1/2 Escher Street PO Box 872, Trenton, NJ 08605
609-695-5456
Education
Trenton
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