Cranford-Elmora Soup Kitchen Celebrating 25 Years of Service With Worship Service At First Presbyterian Church of Cranford

CRANFORD-ELMORA SOUP KITCHEN

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF SERVICE

Despite Issues Ranging From Funding to Hurricanes,

Soup Kitchen Keeps Serving The Needy

Cranford, New Jersey (March 14, 2014) – On Sunday, March 30, the First Presbyterian Church of Cranford, 11 Springfield Ave, Cranford will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Cranford-Elmora Soup Kitchen at the church’s 10AM worship service. Photographs and other items reflecting the history of this mission will be on display in the Thompson Youth Center of the church following the service. All are welcome.

The Cranford-Elmora Soup Kitchen at the First Baptist Church in Elizabeth has seen many different struggles, both amongst its patrons and experiencing issues itself that almost caused the program to close down. People from all walks of life come in for the dining which, ironically, has never consisted of soup nor sandwiches. Instead, the working poor of the Elizabeth area dine on meals meant to create a healthy diet such as chicken, salad, and sweets provided by Pinho’s Bakery.

“It started 25 years ago, very simply and has grown and expanded into a program with 8 teams, 100 volunteers, active volunteers,” soup kitchen coordinator Jean Wands explains. On March 12, 1989, a group of people had aspirations to simply make sandwiches and serve the hungry. Now, the project has grown.

“When we first started, it was all fliers and signs,” explains Joanne Van Sant, volunteer at the soup kitchen since 1989 and a pastor serving in Monmouth County. “When we started, we anticipated that we would be serving homeless people and we do, but we also serve the financially stressed.”

The group quickly gained momentum with many volunteers coming back, despite life changes. Van Sant cites how she moved from Elizabeth back in May 1989, only two months after the program started, and yet has consistently returned, even with her current commute from Brick, NJ.

“Even though our lives have changed, I still save the seventh Sunday to come back and work at the soup kitchen,” Van Sant explains.

However, the soup kitchen also faced some rather frightening times. When the Elmora Presbyterian Church closed in 2004, the soup kitchen almost closed with it. The organization no longer had the financial nor legal backing necessary to support the mission. Through small endowments and private donations, the soup kitchen continued to thrive. “Whenever we’ve had a problem, we’d get an answer, so I’ve stopped worrying,” explains Wands.

In June 2005, the First Presbyterian Church of Cranford adopted the program. Stipends used for the program would go to the food services distribution in Elizabeth, should it dissolve for any reason.

When Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012, Wands almost closed down the next soup kitchen date on Nov 4. “Our volunteers are mostly from the suburbs,” she explains, “so it was problematic with road blockages, with getting gasoline, with no power in the church, the whole thing across the board.”

When word got out about the obstacles the soup kitchen was facing, Fanwood Presbyterian Church member Barry Daniskas stepped forth. He quickly assembled a team to immediately gather bags of food that were donated to hand out to the soup kitchen guests outside of the church.

“He’s a fabulous man to work with,” Wands states.

The following week, though the soup kitchen was once again slated to close, even more volunteers gathered to hand out the bagged lunches, sandwiches, and other snacks.

“This program has been growing and flourishing because of the commitment of each and every one (of the volunteers),” said Wands. “The volunteers are the ones that make it happen. Without all the volunteers… we would not have a program.”

Volunteers come from all over, including Connecticut Farms Presbyterian, St. Theresa’s of Kenilworth, The First Baptist Church of Cranford-Elizabeth, the Fanwood Presbyterian, the Korean Presbyterian, St. Anne’s of Garwood, the Second Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth and the First Presbyterian Church of Cranford. The Fanwood Presbyterian Church also provides bagged lunches for guests.

“We have grown because people have wanted it to… it just happened, it was almost like it was meant to be,” states Wands. “It just seems to have grown beyond time and space.”

“This program is not about [the volunteers].  This is about a program that… has survived this long because it is a voluntary, positive community program that has helped many people.”

The soup kitchen accepts donations of socks, full size bars of soap, tooth paste, tooth brushes, deodorant, wash cloths, face towels, other basic essentials and funding. The First Presbyterian Church of Cranford acts as their drop point. Wands comments that she always sends thank-you cards.

To donate to the Cranford-Elmora Soup Kitchen, contact the First Presbyterian Church of Cranford at 908-276-8440.

ABOUT THE CRANFORD-ELMORA SOUP KITCHEN:

The Cranford-Elmora Soup Kitchen, located at 402 Union Ave, Elizabeth, began March 12, 1989 as a simple idea – Why can’t a group of people put a few sandwiches together and invite some of the hungry in for lunch? Now, after 25 years, the strictly-volunteer soup kitchen has served over 112,000 hot meals to the hungry and financially stressed in the Elizabeth area.

Their basic objective is to provide nutritious meals that one would find at home in a friendly atmosphere, increasing the self-esteem of their guests while educating volunteers, mostly children, about teamwork and how to care for their fellow man.

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