Tag Archives: TASK

News

Post Covid-19: Trenton Area Soup Kitchen is successfully managing Adult Education, Work Preparedness Program

By Neyssa Deriphonse

The Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK)’s main objective is to provide fresh meals to patrons. It also runs the Adult Education and Work Preparedness program.

Adult Education provides literacy courses such as English as a Second Language (ESL), high school equivalency preparation and digital literacy. The digital literacy curriculum offers basic computer skills to patrons and enrolled students. TASK also has two labs which are used for recreational purposes.

The Work Preparedness Program readies students for job positions. It includes job search and resume writing training in addition to interview, time management, conflict and resolution workshops that benefit students’ career development.

TASK also connects with employers to host hiring drives each week. Mia Hart, who serves as the manager of the Adult Education and Work Preparedness program, shared that “companies such as Amazon and Fedex, UPS, Wayfare and various other agencies come in and hire on the spot.” Some other companies walk those interested through initial steps that would prepare them for job applications.

Hart explained that tutoring program volunteers are not required to have a background in teaching. “All volunteers are asked to be open minded, compassionate, patient, non-judgmental, flexible and adaptable,” she said. The patrons must be treated with care and feel safe during their learning experience so that they can celebrate every small step on their journey.

During the pandemic, the program transitioned to a virtual format. They acquired Google Workspace, which contains Google Classroom and Google Meet, in order to facilitate online classes.

It was a learning curve for the staff, tutors and students. Hart said they lost tutors given that some volunteers did not have the capacity to shift to a virtual platform. Existing students and those newly enrolled are paired with a tutor to complete their assignments virtually. Due to the convenience, some pairs remain one hundred percent virtual even today. TASK currently has options for in-person and hybrid tutoring services.

“It’s just an amazing program,” Hart said. “The peers and the way they encourage each other. The support of our volunteer tutors, donating their time and their hearts. Many of the pairings between tutors and students really evolve into friendships.”

News

Emilio’s Culinary Academy at TASK feeds the minds, stomachs of Trenton residents

By Brie Wells

At the Heart of the Trenton community lies the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK), which has been serving the city for over 40 years. With the mission of feeding those who are hungry in the local community, TASK provides thousands of meals to clients facing food insecurity and homelessness each week.

In addition to serving hot meals, TASK offers adult self-sufficiency programs to help improve clients’ quality of life. One of their most popular programs is Emilio’s Culinary Academy.

The academy was founded in February 2020 in conjunction with the Catalyst Kitchen Impact grant, which provides funding for culinary programs and soup kitchens that aid underserved communities. The purpose of the academy is to reach out to a population who may have difficulty entering the workforce and give members the opportunity to gain education and access to skills that will help them secure a better future.

The program is designed to equip students with culinary skills and other soft skills including resume writing, job preparation and the ability to access resources such as social work or case management.

With the recent renovation of the kitchen, the brand new practice space at TASK allows up to four students to receive hands-on training from seasoned chefs who work tirelessly to run the program. The program consists of eight weeks of practical culinary education. This includes food safety certification and two weeks of internship working in the TASK kitchen putting their new skills to use. Regarding the success of the program, Co-Director Adam Livow said, “Within 10 weeks of time we have students graduating the program and being lined up with job offers….They are going from being unemployed to being self-sufficient and having a steady paycheck which gets them that much closer to self-sufficiency.”

The program has previously graduated a number of cohorts of students successfully and the staff are looking forward to graduating the next class. Alumni have found major success working for companies and institutions such as UPS, Wayfair and Rider University.

Uncategorized

TASK Tackles Quarantine

By: Zion Lee

It seems life has taken a sharp turn with the global pandemic brought by COVID-19. Yet, as time has gone on, society has proven to be able to adapt as the unfortunate circumstances of COVID-19 have become a new normal. Even in the face of adversity, some things never change: like needing to eat. Fortunately, one place in Mercer County comes to mind when thinking about a reliable spot to eat, The Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK). Whilst COVID-19 has forced many businesses to close, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen has weathered the storm by adapting to these trying times to provide essentials to those in need.

As COVID-19 closed millions of businesses and changed the lives of billions of lives around the world, The Trenton Area Soup Kitchen has done its best to maintain a consistent meal schedule, serving thousands of patrons each week. While indoor dining was halted due to safety concerns, TASK has been able to provide almost 40,000 meals each month through packaged hot meals, prepared lunch and dinner, given out the front door of the facility. 

In addition to the hot meals, the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen also has continued conducting social work help over the phone and has begun offering its beloved art and music programs again. In an interview with Jaime Parker of TASK, she shared that TASK’s focus is to “get everyone’s immediate needs met”. Now more than ever, it is the “perfect time for people to work towards their high school diploma” even despite the hardships at hand. And while “the digital divide is a big problem” for many patrons, TASK works to “close the gaps that exist” to this day. Individuals interested in receiving assistance from the case manager have been able to reach them over the phone and in the new tent patio at the TASK location to provide assistance to individuals who do not have cell phones with COVID-19 safety restrictions in mind. TASK has also been providing individuals with guidance on how to set up Zoom accounts for online interviews and even secure jobs with companies like “Amazon”. In addition, as the winter approaches, TASK is working with Homefront to create a warming tent for individuals who are looking for a place to stay when the months get colder.  

Even despite the threat of a global pandemic, it seems that the staff at TASK have been able to develop a plan that would ensure maintaining optimal service for their patrons. Anyone interested in receiving meals or social work help should head to TASK at 72 Escher St, Trenton, NJ 08609. The effective plans deployed by TASK such as providing packaged food, offering social services over the phone, and working to hold art classes have displayed the dedication and adaptability of the staff at TASK in the face of COVID-19.

 

Here is a link to TASK’S Official COVID Response