The Princeton Area Community Foundation (PACF) has announced that the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) has been awarded a $25,000 grant for operating support. This funding will go to support TASK’s mission: Providing meals to all those who are hungry; providing services to encourage self-sufficiency and improve quality of life; informing the wider community of the needs of the hungry; and advocating for resources to meet these needs.

TASK serves a hot, nutritious lunch Monday through Friday and an evening meal Monday through Thursday at its Escher Street location in Trenton as well as dinner Monday through Thursday at satellite locations in South Trenton, West Trenton, Hightstown and Princeton. TASK now serves over 4,000 meals per week. This past year, TASK has served over 209,000 meals to the Mercer County area.

In addition to meal service, TASK has programming to improve patron self sufficiency and quality of life. TASK’s Adult Education Program continues to have success with students who have not prospered in other programs. More than 80 students and 70 volunteer tutors are involved in the program. This year, 24 Students have earned their GED through its program, eight of whom are now taking college level courses.

TASK also offers an on-site social worker who provides referrals such as financial aid, housing assistance, veteran’s benefits, mental health treatment, addiction treatment, and health care.  It issues food and clothing vouchers that can be used at emergency facilities. Other services such as legal aid, blood pressure and cancer screenings, HIV and TB testings, voter registration, job counseling, and screening for Food Stamp eligibility are provided by agencies using its facility.

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.

For Volunteer opportunities and more information about TASK, visit: www.TrentonSoupKitchen.org.