Since the New Jersey Area’s regular volunteer activity at St. Ann’s Soup Kitchen in Newark is on hiatus, members have been on the lookout for other opportunities to serve the poor.

New Jersey Area Auxiliary member, G. Bjorn “Gib” Delacruz, was informed by his home parish of a need for volunteers at St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen, based out of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Plainfield.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, this soup kitchen would feed anywhere between 100-120 people every Sunday with meals supplied by volunteer groups. Because of the pandemic, indoor dining was discontinued; but, the soup kitchen carried on by providing takeout meals with volunteer groups capped at 10 volunteers.

Mr. Delacruz organized a group of 8 local Area members to fill a volunteer slot at the soup kitchen on Sunday, April 11th. In addition to their volunteer service, Matthew Sexton, KM, also coordinated the donation of food by a caterer. 

With enough food to feed 80-90 people, members packed and gave away a total of 71 meals at St. Mary’s Soup Kitchen and distributed the remaining meals to a local home for the mentally handicapped.

The New Jersey Area is hoping to make this a regular outreach opportunity that members can support in the future.