My Ministry Is Feeding People’ Hard Times And Redemption At A Struggling Soup Kitchen
Milton Rivera hands out lunches at Elijah’s Promise in New Brunswick
This is part of a series A State on Edge on how life has changed for New Jerseyans during the coronavirus outbreak.
“Im homeless,” says the man with the piercing black eyes, neatly trimmed goatee and Raceway Park hoodie sitting on a ledge outside Elijahs Promise soup kitchen in New Brunswick.
“I’ve been living in abandoned houses. This one I’m in, no one knows I’m there. I’m quiet. I just sleep. You make noise, the neighbors will complain, get the cops on you.”
Jesus Otero finishes off his burger, today’s lunch at Elijah’s Promise, which opened in 1989 and serves 35,000 meals a year.
Nearby is Oteros trusty rusty Rockridge bike. On the ground are several unexpected bonuses two pies, one peach, one cherry. The first seven people in line for lunch today each received a pie. Otero is saving the cherry for himself, the peach for the woman whose house he is doing handyman work in.
“Marty, wheres your mask?” he amiably shouts at a man, walking away with lunch in a white foam tray. “Youre supposed to have a damn mask.” He turns to a reporter, kneeling on the sidewalk. “Thats my friend, known him for 20 years, but still.”
Curtis McNair, manager and chef at Elijah’s Promise, brings out lunch to the soup kitchen’s “clients”
There are stories of hard times and redemption here.
“I got involved in the drug trade,” he says matter-of-factly.
Community Dining With Dignity
All are welcome at our table where locally-sourced ingredients, dignity and respect are always on the menu.
Community Dining with Dignity
All are welcome at our table where locally-sourced ingredients, dignity and respect are always on the menu.
As New Jersey begins to reopen guided by improvements in public health & the capacity to safeguard the public, we are happy to see more patrons returning to our restaurants. In light of this increase, JBJ Soul Kitchen will no longer be offering to-go meals.We thank everyone who supported us through their to-go orders.
Both of our locations will continue to have indoor & outdoor socially distanced seating, we are prepared to serve you all!
Thank you for your patience, understanding and continued support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.We are looking foward to a positive road ahead and hope to see you all at our table soon!
JBJ Soul Kitchen Staff
As we navigate to our new normal, we will continue to focus on the health and safety of our staff, volunteers, patrons and community. To this end, we have established House Rules to help stop the spread of COVID-19 in accordance with the State of New Jersey Department of Health, CDC & local regulations.
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The Second Reformed Church New Brunswick Is Running A Food Pantry For The Local Community The Food Pantry Is Unique In That Families Get To Choose Their Own Food Rather Than Receive A Pre
Late Winter-Spring Hours Monday and Tuesdays 10am to 1pm. Providing volunteer staff is available. It is highly recommended that clients call ahead to 732-439-3668 to confirm staff will be available to open. Closed every third Tuesday of the month for food delivery.
Parking is available next to the church building on Mine Street. Address100 College Ave, New Brunswick NJ 08901
Please support Our Church and the Services we provide to the Community. All donations are tax deductible.
Please help us serve the community and donate now. Any amount goes a long way in supporting people in need of food.
Monetary Donations can be made via Paypal or credit card by using the Donate Now button found on the right panel of this page. Mark your donation Five Loaves Food Pantry.
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How To Support The Needy Cases Fund
From Nov. 24 to Dec. 1, the journalists of the Home News Tribune and MyCentralJersey.com are focusing on eight organizations serving Central Jersey as part of the annual Needy Cases Fund project.
The Needy Cases Fund is a Central Jersey holiday tradition, stretching back more than seven decades. The community service project has been sponsored by the Home News Tribune and its predecessor, the Daily Home News, working with the Lions Club of New Brunswick.
Send donations to: Needy Cases Fund, Home News Tribune, 92 E. Main St., Suite 202, Somerville, NJ 08876. Please indicate with a note whether you want to be acknowledged in a wrap-up story about the program or whether you wish to remain anonymous.
Donations will be gratefully accepted through the end of December.
More Free Food And Hot Meals In Middlesex County Near You
To find additional food pantries or hunger prevention programs in Middlesex County New Jersey dial 908-355-3663. Food, groceries, and meals can be provided to low income families, children, seniors, the unemployed and others who are struggling in the region. Or get help with applying for SNAP food stamps, Meals on Wheels, or other benefits.
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How To Support Elijahs Promise And Community Food Security
Donations can be dropped off at 18 Neilson St between 8-12:30pm Mon-Sun including holidays. For donations of perishable foods or 100+ items, please contact in advance.
All other donations, please do not call in advance. Below are items on our wishlist!
THANK YOU
- Watch theCNN/Sesame Street racism town hallwith your children and use.
- These lessons and activities from Food Span are an excellent resource for learning about what it takes for food to make it from the farm to your fork, including the racial and economic disparities across different sectors of the food system.
For Anybody:
- Watch these TED Talks:Food, Race, and Justiceby Malik Yankini and The Underlying Racism of Americas Food Systemby Regina Bernard-Carreno.
- Think about the problems in your food system. Food waste? Unfair wages for workers? Lack of adequate protection for workers health and safety? Not enough access to local healthy foods? Use this worksheet from Food Span to think through problems and potential solutions and be in touch with us at if you want to talk about how to take action towards food justice.
For Students:
What Kind Of Food Is Served
JBJ Soul Kitchen serves a 3-course meal based on American Regional cuisine, beginning with the option of a soup or salad. Each guest also has the choice of an entrée such as a fish, meat, or vegetarian selection. The meal is finished with a freshly made dessert. Our chefs prepare many of the dishes with natural, locally sourced ingredients from our garden or the JBJ Soul Kitchen Farm.
GIVE BACK
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Our Opportunity To Learn
As honest spiritual seekers, we have derived a lot from this service activity. No joy can compare to that of seeing the guests leave happily after a satisfying meal. When some of them come around to thank our group, we silently thank the Lord for giving us this wonderful opportunity. There is a lot to learn from the soup kitchen authorities, as well. They are very organized and emphasize cleanliness. They are very particular in providing nutritious food to the guests and pay detailed attention to the ingredients used. Their efforts to recycle plastics and organic waste effectively are really commendable.
Overall, we have grown richer in virtue and knowledge by engaging in this service project, and it has contributed immensely to our awareness and inward journey. We are realizing that God is the indwelling source of all living beings and that performing service is, in reality, worshiping God.
Other Reviews From The Web
Yelp
A literal soup kitchen, located in New Brunswick, NJ, that serves and feeds the hungry and poor on a daily basis.The place is run by a mixture of staff and volunteers. Elijah’s Promise even runs its
Posted by on November 23, 2010.Brought to you by openlist.
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Bridge To The Community
One regular monthly service activities we perform is at the Elijahs Promise Soup Kitchen in New Brunswick, NJ. Since early 2010, every month we have cooked and served nutritious lunches for a few hundred hungry people, as well as for the residents of the Ozanam Inn shelter.
The food is purely vegetarian, and the menu is always finalized with the Elijahs Promise authorities. Serving a well-balanced and nutritional lunch promotes health and supports the well-being of those we serve. Some of the guests are mothers with young children. Some are elderly. Some are unemployed others are working but cannot make ends meet. They are male and female, young and old, White, Hispanic/Latino, and African-American. Guests of the soup kitchen are served in an atmosphere of hospitality and dignity. No one leaves Elijahs Promise hungry!
We also make sandwiches on a weekly basis for the soup kitchens Bag Meal program, which provides a meal to go for people who are working or unable to get there during meal times.
