Lunch Break Soup Kitchen in Red Bank Set for Thanksgiving

Written by Elaine Van Develde

Lunch Break's plate is especially full this season, but the table is all set for Thanksgiving Day feasting. The soup kitchen, located in Red Bank, is serving Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Lunch Break's Bobbi Daugherty said, adding that the kitchen is healthily stuffed with volunteers to cook and serve. 

"Thanksgiving is one of those times when everybody wants to volunteer to help, thank goodness," Daugherty said. "There were volunteers this morning (Monday) starting prep work for the meal."

As set and plentiful as the Red Bank soup kitchen's table may be for Thanksgiving, it's the Christmas season off season that pose the biggest donation problems, Daugherty said.

This year, Daugherty said she'd like to encourage people to sign up for the organization's Adopt-a-Family program. 

Here's how it works: Parents who are eligible for the assistance register their children from newborn to 15. Each child is allowed three wishes, each of which is recorded on a form and put i a big binder. People who wish to help make kids' holiday wishes come true can come to Lunch Break, peruse the binder and choose a family or families. 

The concept is one that Daugherty says works very well and was even the impetus for her initial involvement and continued investment in and involvement with Lunch Break. 

"This year, my husband and I have 13 kids," she said. "It is really fun, because you know what the kids want, their sizes … It's not like just anonymously dropping off toys in a box …" so you know these kids in need are getting a real wish granted. 

"There are always more kids that need 'adopting,'" Daugherty added. "In mid-December, after the gifts are collected, there is a party at Tower Hill church with Santa and cookies and the bags of gifts are distributed to the parents."

Anyone interested in the Lunch Break Adopt-a-Family program can call Sharda Jetwani at 732.784.7360. The deadline for dropping off unwrapped gifts is Dec. 2, so get to it if you're interested, Daugherty said. The biggest thing for the holidays is gifts for kids," she said. "In addition to Adopt-a-Family, we accept any and all unwrapped gifts or gift cards, which teenagers love, for kids who do not get adopted."

As for clothing needs, Daugherty said that right now there is no room for clothing, but cold weather outer clothing is always accepted through the end of the year. 

On the subject of keeping those in need fed during and beyond the holidays, Daugherty said that non-perishable foods and monetary donations to buy food to serve are always needed. "We project that we will serve 80,000 hot meals this year and distribute emergency provisions to hundreds of families in need," she said. "We do buy food from retailers, wholesalers and from the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. But, monetary donations give us great buying power and the ability to plan nutritious meals well in advance."

To donate to Lunch Break, stop by the facility on Drs. James Parker Boulevard, call 732-747-8577 or visit the Lunch Break website.