For the past 35 years, Elijah’s Promise Community Kitchen in New Brunswick has been harnessing the power of food to break the cycle of poverty, alleviate hunger and change lives. Stacy Lopez, associate director of development, discusses how the organization is working to make life better for underserved populations.
What services does Elijah’s Promise provide?
We strive to do more to change lives through our programs and services. For example, we serve more than 350,000 free, nutritious meals a year at our Community Soup Kitchen. Our Promise Culinary School provides job training annually to about 50 students who need marketable job skills. The Let’s Cook! classes teach adults and children healthy recipes. Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is our partner in the Promise Clinic, which provides free primary care medical services and social services to our uninsured clients. In addition, we have a Social Service team that brings food, clothing and hygiene products to homeless people throughout Middlesex County. We also guide our clients to services like state and federal assistance programs and counseling to help them achieve their goals of long-term health and success.
What is the most rewarding aspects of your work?
We are a reliable community. Regardless of the weather, a global pandemic or economic uncertainties, we have never missed a day in over three decades of serving our guests hot, free meals.
How do you help guests with the challenges they face?
Our guests struggle with finding the proper assistance and social services. They seek help with basic needs like food, housing and clothing. We help them connect to resources that can assist.
Help Elijah’s Promise continue its legacy of services. Contribute monetary donations online at ElijahsPromise.org/Donate, via Venmo (@Elijahs-Promise) or by mailing a check to Elijah’s Promise at 18 Neilson St., New Brunswick, NJ 08901. It is also seeking volunteers to assist with food preparation and items from its wish list: lunch bags, utensil bundles, snack packs and hygiene kits. Discover the ways you help at ElijahsPromise.org/volunteer.