Volunteer At Local Soup Kitchens In Nj & The Jersey City Community
Tis the season to give back to our Jersey City community! Wondering what to do in Jersey City to do your part? Volunteer at your local soup kitchen! To make the process easy for you, your friends and your family, we did some research, consulting Jersey Cares, NJ Soup Kitchen and several websites for local soup kitchens in NJ. Take a look at a few of the options weve compiled, then get out and help!
Hunger Helpers in Jersey City
About: This program is run by St. Lucys Shelter, a supervised 24-hour, 7-day-a-week, year-round emergency shelter for single women and men. In addition to emergency housing, St. Lucy’s also provides food for those in need. Volunteers play an important role in the facilities’ operation by providing assistance with meal preparation, sorting and distributing food.
Hours: Food preparation and sorting begins at 4PM. Food distribution begins at 5PM
Address: 619 Grove St, Jersey City, NJ 07310
Hoboken Shelter
About: Hoboken Shelter provides shelter to 50 people a night and serves 300 meals a day. Volunteers help make the shelter operational and can make a difference for many by offering a few hours of their time to prepare and serve meals to those who otherwise would go hungry.
Hours: Sunday Saturday 6PM to 8PM
Address: 300 Bloomfield St, Hoboken, NJ 07030
St. Johns Soup Kitchen
Hours:Tuesday Saturday.; Breakfast: 8:30 to 9AM; Lunch: 11:30AM – 12:30PM
Address: 22 Mulberry St, Newark, NJ 07102
Community Soup Kitchen and Outreach Center
Sikh Temple Soup Kitchens
Every Sikh shrine has a religiously sanctioned moral and humanitarian obligation to serve and provide hospitality, provisions, nourishments and meals to any man, regardless of race, creed, religious profession, identification, or affiliation. At the Langar , food is served to all visitors regardless of faith, religion, or background. Only vegetarian food is served and people eat together as equals. The institution of the Sikh langar was started by the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak. It was designed to uphold the principle of equality between all people regardless of religion, caste, colour, creed, age, gender, or social status. In addition to the ideals of equality, the tradition of langar expresses the ethics of sharing, community, inclusiveness, and oneness of humankind.
You Learn More About Life
Part of meeting other people is learning about their life stories. Their experiences will teach you valuable lessons that you wont learn about in books or movies. Youll learn more about life, relationships, forgiveness, and sacrifices, among others. These lessons help you grow and become a better person. You will be allowing yourself an opportunity to view life from the perspective of others, not just from your own ethnic or socioeconomic status.
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Spread To The United States
The concept of soup kitchens spread to the United States from Ireland after the Great famine and the concomitant wave of Irish emigration to the New World. The earliest ones were established in the 1870s. A sharp rise in the number of hungry people resulting from an industrial recession coincided with the success of the AICP, and the American branch of the Charity Organization Society, in getting various forms of “outdoor relief” banned. This resulted in civil society establishing soup kitchens, to help feed those of the poor who did not wish to subject themselves to the regimented organisation of the Almshouses favored by the charitable societies.
It is believed the term âbreadlineâ entered the popular lexicon in the 1880s. It was during those years that a noteworthy bakery in New York Cityâs Greenwich Village, âFleischmann Model Viennese Bakery,â instituted a policy of distributing unsold baked goods to the poor at the end of their business day.By the late 19th century soup kitchens were to be found in several US cities.The concept of soup kitchens hit the mainstream of United States consciousness during the Great Depression. One soup kitchen in Chicago was even sponsored by American mobster Al Capone in an effort to clean up his image.
Skills And Qualifications Required To Be A Soup Kitchen Volunteer
A volunteer at a soup kitchen aims to serve food to hundreds of people and help with kitchen tasks.
If you want to become one such volunteer, you need to have the following skills and qualifications:
- Follow good hygiene
- Ability to understand food handlers hygiene practices
- Ability to complete a task and follow instructions independently and in a team
- Ability to learn new tasks
- Excellent communication and reading skills
- Can keep things confidential and professional
- Comfortable working directly with large crowds and clients
- Courteous and hard-working
- Comfortable and experience working in kitchens
- Reliable
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Skills Acquired By Working As A Soup Kitchen Volunteer
Can you imagine you can learn life-learning skills by giving a little to people and doing noble and charitable work?
A volunteer on your resume means a well-rounded person. Being a volunteer is important to both your personal and professional life. Given below are some skills which you will learn by becoming a volunteer at a soup kitchen with life-long impacts:
You Make A Difference In Someones Life
There is nothing more precious than seeing the smiles of the people youve helped. Just the mere knowledge that youve made a difference in someones life is enough to lift your soul. Thats when you know that you have a purpose. It helps you understand that the work youre doing is much more than just cooking or serving food. You are changing a life something that is empowering and humbling at the same time.
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Comparison With Front Line Food Banks And Pantries
In some countries such as Great Britain, increased demand from hungry people has largely been met by food banks, operating on the “front line” model, where they give food out directly to the hungry. In the USA, such establishments are called “food pantries”; Americans generally reserve the term “food bank” for entities which perform a warehouse-like function, distributing food to front line agencies, but not directly to the hungry themselves. Instead of providing hot meals, front line food banks and pantries hand out packages of groceries so that recipients can cook themselves several meals at home. This is often more convenient for the end user. They can receive food for up to a dozen or so meals at once, whereas with a soup kitchen, they typically only receive a single meal with each visit.
Things To Keep In Mind While Volunteering At A Soup Kitchen
Soup Kitchen is among the few places where homeless people can enjoy a free meal without facing any judgmental remarks from others. The institution runs on donations and peoples generosity.
Among several job requirements and responsibilities to be a soup kitchen volunteer, you will need a sincere mind and heart to fulfill your duties.
Below are the tips you should keep in mind if you have decided to volunteer at the soup kitchen.
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Q: How Many Volunteers Can Show Up
A: Single volunteers on weekdays must call ahead to reserve a day. On the weekendâs single volunteers are welcome, but need to call ahead to make sure we are not at our limit for volunteers on that day. We schedule groups of no more than six people and arrangements need to be made ahead of time.
Its A Very Rewarding Experience
Volunteering may not make you rich, but it gives you something more valuable than money: happiness. Helping those who are in need brings that kind of satisfaction that no amount of money can buy. It helps you find that elusive feeling of peace and contentment that luxury cars and flashy gadgets cant give.
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Why Volunteer At A Soup Kitchen
Pork roast, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes and apple pie for desert sounds like the ideal dinner for some. But for others, an ideal dinner is simply having something to eat — anything at all. It’s an unfortunate truth that millions of Americans go hungry every day. Soup kitchens, which rely on volunteers and charitable donations, are one good step toward ending hunger.
Why volunteer at a soup kitchen? The simple answer is that it’s just a good thing to do — for both your community and yourself. Making sure people have basic nutrition is incredibly important to their health and wellbeing. And volunteering at a soup kitchen, like volunteering for other charitable groups, is a very rewarding experience, which in turn can be beneficial to your overall health and wellbeing.
Holidays see an influx of volunteers, especially Thanksgiving, but it’s important to remember that many kitchens are open 365 days a year. Guests rely on these hours of operation, which means the kitchens must rely on consistent volunteering. Of course volunteering during holidays is a great gift, but consider other times and ways you may be able to help. Instead of planning a book club meeting or movie night with your friends, consider planning a monthly volunteer night to prepare and serve food at a local soup kitchen or shelter. Check with the volunteer staffing manager to arrange a regular time for your group to help.
Read on to learn about how to get out and donate your time.
A Community Where Everyone Benefits
Our efforts are powered by love the love of our seva warriors. Some come for one soup kitchen, while others return week after week. Although volunteering is an incredibly humbling and eye-opening experience, its also full of love, joy and silliness. It fills your heart and feeds your soul.
Its about more than feeding the hungry. Its about breaking down the social barriers that exist between us, and connecting people regardless of their gender, colour, religion, or social status. Were building the nation we know we can be.
Seva a beautiful Sanskrit word that refers to the art of selfless service. However, its more than a desire to help others without wanting anything in return. Its a genuine desire to uplift those around you.
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Volunteer When It Is Really Required
During the holidays such as Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, the soup kitchen requires a lot of help. So, it would be most helpful if you volunteered at that time rather than any other time in the year.
Consider visiting soup kitchens twice during the less popular time as the people operating soup kitchen would appreciate those who know the job.
Volunteer At Our Soup Kitchen
Each season of the year comes with their own wave of increased attendance in soup kitchens. When this happens, we need soup kitchen volunteers in Bloomington, IL that are on hand.
Soup kitchen volunteers provide warm food to the homeless, and they show care by serving without expecting anything in return.
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Emergence Of The Modern Soup Kitchen
The earliest modern soup kitchens were established by the inventor Sir Benjamin Thompson, who was employed as an aide-de-camp to the Elector of Bavaria in the 1790s. Thompson was an American loyalist refugee from New England and an inventor who was ennobled by Bavaria as Count Rumford. The Count was a prominent advocate of hunger relief, writing pamphlets that were widely read across Europe.
Count Rumford’s message was especially well received in Great Britain, where he had previously held a senior government position for several years and was known as “the Colonel”. An urgent need had recently arisen in Britain for hunger relief, due to her leading role in driving the Industrial Revolution. While technological development and economic reforms were rapidly increasingly overall prosperity, conditions for the poorest were often made worse, as traditional ways of life were disrupted. In the closing years of the 18th century, soup kitchens run on the principles pioneered by Rumford were to be found throughout England, Wales, and Scotland, with about 60,000 people being fed by them daily in London alone.
While soup kitchens were initially well regarded, they attracted criticism from some, for encouraging dependency, and sometimes on a local level for attracting vagrants to an area. In Britain, they were made illegal, along with other forms of aid apart from workhouses, by the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834.
Regular Volunteering: Weekly Fortnightly & Monthly
The majority of our volunteers help out in the dining room at the Soup Kitchen serving meals. Generally volunteers are rostered on once a fortnight or once a month. Please note that volunteers helping in the Dining Room need to be 15 years or older.
BreakfastTwo volunteers help in the Soup Kitchen each morning from 7.208.30am, MondaySaturday to serve soup, bread, tea, coffee, fruit and milo.
DinnerBetween five and seven volunteers work as a team with Soup Kitchen;staff to help serve dinner to our guests and assist in the kitchen 4.206pm, MondaySaturday. Every effort has been made to make the dining room a;warm, inviting and comfortable. Volunteers play a significant role in creating this environment through the friendly service they provide to our guests.
Soup HubA small computer suite for Soup Kitchen community use operates on weekday afternoons. Volunteers offer assistance with basic IT skills, and help supervise the Hub. The Hub is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 12.304pm.
Bread CollectionA volunteer collects and transports bread donated by Wellington City New World to the Kitchen using their own vehicle . Volunteers commit to one day a week.
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Stay Safe While Volunteering
The health and safety of our food bank volunteers, staff and visitors are our top priority. While volunteering we encourage you to take the following safety measures:
Find The Opportunity That Best Fits Your Abilities
You do not need to have any cooking abilities to become a soup kitchen volunteer. Preparing food, serving food, and cleaning up are some of the opportunities available. If the soup kitchen has a food pantry, you may be able to help take inventory or collect donations. Anything you can do will make a difference.;In 2011,;more than 5 percent;of U.S. households received assistance from a food bank one or more times.
Many of the available opportunities do not require any training. When training is needed, someone will be glad to work with you. United Way of San Diego County has a;volunteer opportunities;that your entire family or group can become involved in. When you can work together as a family or group, you may find even greater rewards from the time spent together.
There are many ways to find volunteer opportunities. Some schools and retirement homes run soup kitchens at different times of year. Also check with local community centers, churches, homeless shelters, and food banks.
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You Can Be A Soup Kitchen Volunteer
Becoming a soup kitchen volunteer is both easy and rewarding. While many soup kitchens are known for events during the holidays, they do operate all year and help is always needed. Volunteering provides a simple way to give back to your community and LIVE UNITED. The gratitude on the face of just one hungry child or adult shows how much your help is appreciated.
Soup kitchens provide wholesome food for many members of a community. The homeless, hungry, or disaster victims all benefit from the services offered.
Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Volunteer At A Soup Kitchen
A soup kitchen is one of the few places where the homeless can get a free meal without judgment or discrimination. These institutions rely solely on the generosity of the people and run on donations. As such, they always appreciate people who are willing to donate their money and time.
There are many job requirements to volunteer at a soup kitchen. A sincere heart for helping the poor is most important. If youre of school age, you might want to check with the volunteer coordinator first for age requirements.
If you still have no idea where to spend your free time, here are ten reasons why you should volunteer at a soup kitchen:
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World’s Largest Soup Kitchen
The world’s largest soup kitchen is run at the Sikhs‘ holiest shrine, Golden Temple in Punjab, India, which according to Croatian Times can serve free food for up to 100,000 – 300,000 people every day. It was started in circa 1481 A.D by Guru Nanak and has continued ever since, except for two brief breaks.
Do Not Take Charge Of The Kitchen
You may be asked to do several tasks at the soup kitchen, including cleaning, washing, or organizing things. So, always be humble to the people giving you the tasks.
Here, you are a part of someone elses business; you need to be open and acceptable to all situations.
Final Thoughts
Becoming a volunteer at a soup kitchen requires your commitment and devotion. If you want to make a difference in someones life, you have to show and perform your duties. All you need is a sincere heart and a clear mind to help the people in need.
You will soon realize the credibility behind the volunteer work in comparison to your office job. Moreover, you will understand how it will judge and impact your potential to work.
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