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Step Up to the Plate For the Capital Campaign for Lunch Break
Newsletter - Spring - 2014 www.lunchbreak.org 732-747-8577 WE COULDN’T DO...WHAT WE DO...WITHOUT YOU! Dear Friends, Over the years, Lunch Break has assisted many people, and those who have helped make that possible are never forgotten. Your generosity makes you a special friend of Lunch Break. As our special friend, we wanted to share with you some very exciting news. So that we may better serve our clients and meet the ever growing needs of the community, we recently launched our $5 Million Dollar “Step Up to the Plate” Capital Campaign to expand our facilities. This campaign is about more than just building a new facility, it is about feeding even more hungry people. After thirty years in our current building, it’s time for a new home - a home
Letter from the Capital Campaign Chair Bonnie Featherstone-Johnson At my first meeting in October 2011 as Chairwoman of the “Step Up to the Plate” $5 million dollar Capital Campaign, I told the committee we were standing at the threshold of a transformational time in Lunch Break’s history. It is easy to celebrate how far we have come in just under three years. But, our work is far from done! Lunch Break has come a long way since 1983 when it started up in the basement of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Red Bank. If it were not for the commitment of the entire Lunch Break family then, Lunch Break would not be where it is today. Over the years, we have grown from a small community organization into a nationally recognized, award winning non-profit that we can all (volunteers, donors, staff and
that will allow us to continue to serve, with dignity and compassion, the thousands of people depending on us every month. The size, shape, and design of our new facility directly relates to the number of people we need to serve food, hope, and support services. In order to continue making a difference in the lives of individuals affected by the work of Lunch Break, it is vital that our Capital Campaign be a success. It is with this in mind that we are asking all our friends and supporters to “Step Up to the Plate”. Can we count on you to make a donation to this important cause? Please be assured that your contribution will be put to good use to provide help to individuals in need of assistance right here in our community. To pledge your support, please fill out and return the enclosed envelope.
Another wonderful way to show your support is through the Lunch Break Giving Tree. Located in the main dining room, the Giving Tree will be a large wall sculpture featuring leaves and fruit bearing the names of special supporters like you. Your donation to the tree is a wonderful way to recognize your company, school, or group, honor a friend or family member, celebrate your children, grandchildren, spouse, parent, pets or departed loved one. Thank you for your continued support, and know that we couldn’t do...what we do... without special friends like you!
Mark Brahney President - Board of Trustees
guests) be proud to be a part of. I know I am. Now Lunch Break needs a new home, and it’s getting one that would surely make the original founders proud. To date Lunch Break has raised over $2 million in cash, property and pledges towards the campaign which includes a lead gift of $500,000. Nearly 10 percent of the cost for Phase 1 and Phase 2 has been funded directly through individual contributions by the Lunch Break Board of Trustees. In the coming months, I look forward to sharing more updates about the campaign with you and how you can help make a vision become a reality.
Bonnie Featherstone-Johnson Chairwoman - The Capital Campaign Committee Member - Board of Trustees
Dear Mrs. Love: We at Interfaith Neighbors commend you and your staff on the wonderful work you do each and every day to help those less fortunate among us. We marvel at the breadth and scope of your service offerings, admire the dignity you afford each of your clients, and applaud vigorously your spirit of giving. We especially appreciate what your agency does for our NJ Youth Corps participants. We wish you success on your fundraising campaign and a smooth construction experience. We look forward to joining you for the ribbon cutting ceremony in the not-todistant future!
On Behalf of the Board
LUNCH BREAKing NEWS...
Breaking Ground
Mission Driven • Here to Serve • Three Decades
“I want you to know this. You are having a very real and huge impact on the lives of real people. You are changing their lives. You are transforming them by what you are doing.” Rev. Jason Tucker, Tower Hill Presbyterian Church, Red Bank, 2014 Ground breaking Top: Current & Former Board Members & Donors Bottom: Staff & Volunteers
Thirty-one years ago, a group of concerned residents and clergy members emptied their pockets, collecting $500 to provide a hot lunch to the needy in Red Bank. On Friday, March 14, 2014, which also marked Lunch Break’s official 31st anniversary, some of those same people picked up shovels to help break ground. Speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony included Mayor Pasquale Menna, Justin and Victoria Gmelich, and Rev. Terrence Rosheuvel who all honored the legacy of the organization and the thousands of volunteers and supporters who have helped it thrive throughout the past three decades. TM
I would like to welcome you this evening to what should prove to be a long lasting tradition of sharing in the success of our valued community resource -- Lunch Break. We’ve gathered tonight not only to celebrate Lunch Break’s 31 years of impacting the stability and wellness of our community members, but to ensure that it survives -- and more importantly -thrives for the next 30 and beyond. It is an honor for me to represent The Two River Times as we partner with Lunch Break in raising awareness of all the clients and families it has helped and continues to assist through its programs. In my years of covering Monmouth County as a reporter and editor, I have watched Lunch Break grow, through skilled leadership and by the generosity of community members, to assist more clients who are faced with economic hardships as they try to afford day-to-day necessities. And the organization has done so with kindness, compassion and discretion.
Kate McMahon, Director of Development; Amanda Mulheren, Volunteer; and Garofalo families at the Lunch Break Kickoff
Justin and Victoria Gmelich, property donors, with Gwendolyn O. Love, Executive Director
Co-chairs, Michele Kuhn & Danny Murphy
Paul Hooker, Lead Donor
We are so fortunate to have Lunch Break in our lives. But I know you know that, which is why you are here. On behalf of my colleagues, Donna Rovere, COO, and Michele Kuhn, Two River Times Editor, I thank you for Stepping Up to the Plate. Your willingness in helping us ensure the future of Lunch Break and its spirit of giving, as well as your concern for our families and friends, is greatly appreciated.
Ellen McCarthy, Publisher, Donna Rovere, COO, & Michele Kuhn, Editor of TM
&
Ellen McCarthy Publisher Two River Times Honorary Co Chair of the “Step up to the Plate” Campaign
John & Robin Klein The Sickles Family & Danny Murphy Co-Chairs of the
“ Step Up to the Plate” The Capital Campaign for Lunch Break
Request the pleasure of your company at the
Campaign Kick-Off Wine & Cheese Celebration on Tuesday - March 11, 2014 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. 121 Dr. James Parker Blvd. Red Bank, NJ 07701 Dress: Business Casual Valet parking will be provided. RSVP Kate McMahon kmcmahon@lunchbreak.org 732-747-8577 ext 3103
Because of you Hot Meals served Food Pantry Pickups Clothing Pickups
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
33,672 1,007 1,542
39,365 2,246 1,369
40,497 3,619 2,618
45,574 6,525 3,326
56,487 7,624 8,879
61,827 10,210 11,958
2008-2013 84% 914% 675%
In 2013
Because of YOU...we served 61,827 hot meals to neighbors in need.
Because of YOU…we graduated 106 children from our Kid’s Cooking Class program.
Because of YOU...we provided business attire for 250 individuals for job interviews through our SUITED FOR SUCCESS PROGRAM
There’s always a place at our table.
Because of YOU...we brought smiles to over 1500 children through our Adopt-aFamily Holiday Toy program.
10 Because of YOU...in 2013 we distributed 10,2 th, mou Mon in ilies fam bags of groceries to Ocean, Middlesex and Essex Counties.
Because of YOU...we distribute thousands of holiday food baskets during Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.
Because of YOU... we deliver 30+ hot, nutritious meals, 6 days a week, to the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled.
Because of YOU...every Tuesday - year round - rain or shine - we provide fresh fruit and vegetables to people in need.
If you or someone you know needs assistance, please contact Lunch Break at 732-747-8577. There is never a fee for the services we provide.
WITH YOU...we can, together, continue to breathe life back into those who are depleted of spirit and enable them to achieve much more in their lives and that of their family. Please...
“STEP UP TO THE PLATE”
In 2011 the two adjacent properties were donated by a generous supporter to allow Lunch Break to fulfill its dream of expanding and upgrading existing facilities to meet present and future needs.
For three decades, Lunch Break has operated from its current modest 6,000-square-foot building. At any given time, due to a severe lack of space, Lunch Break is forced to rent off-site storage and warehousing facilities costing the organization over $6,000 per month. With secured funding, the planned expansion will annex the two buildings to the main facility resulting in an increase of over twice the space of the current facility.
The “Step Up to the Plate” Capital Campaign is to fund the construction of the new building, upgrades to facility. the existing building and the purchase of additional property for a larger, safer, and more
We’ve Come This Far by Faith Dear Friends, Lunch Break is at the dawn of a new day and a new way of providing services to individuals and families who need our help. Our expansion project has started and thanks to you, the community, we will soon be able to offer a “Client Choice” food pantry; house our Clothing and Suited for Success Programs; create a childfriendly reception area, increase the dining room capacity, add additional parking and more. The Board of Trustees, faithfully embarked upon this ambitious project in the hope the community would “Step Up to the Plate” to support us. After all, for 31 years Lunch Break has been a grassroots organization supported by everyday people seeking to do good. So whether you have big bucks or small change - you too can “Step Up
to the Plate” to help Lunch Break complete the expansion. I’m confident that you will want to be a part of Lunch Break’s growth, knowing that your support is a human investment into the lives of men, women and children who are experiencing financial challenges. At Lunch Break we know that “First you Help, then comes Hope.” The staff and volunteers at Lunch Break lovingly deposit Help and Hope all day and everyday into the hearts of our neighbors in need. Please, we need you now to “Step Up to the Plate” and support this campaign. I know you will come through, you always do. Thank you so much. God Bless,
Gwendolyn O. Love Gwendolyn O. Love Executive Director
“Step Up to the Plate” The expansion project will be executed in three phases so that Lunch Break can remain open.
Phase 1: The two donated properties have been demolished and make way for the construction of a new three story, 6,300-square foot building - two stories high plus a basement connected to the existing Lunch Break facility. The basement will house a 650-square foot clothing “boutique”, a maintenance office, restrooms, and a 900-square foot sorting and storage area for our clothing operations. The first floor will contain a 740-square foot “choice food pantry”, reception and waiting areas, private social service and intake offices, donation drop, restrooms, stairs and an elevator. The second floor will house administrative offices, a conference and meeting room, and data stations.
Phase 2: After completion of Phase 1, the existing facility will be renovated, almost doubling the seating capacity in the dining room. The original kitchen will be gutted, making way for a new, larger and more functional kitchen. The basement will be cleared and re-designed for efficient food storage and sorting.
Phase 3 Includes the purchase of additional property for future expansion.
FACT: Hunger is not what many think. Those who come to Lunch Break are the unemployed and the underemployed and the employed. They are retired persons living on fixed incomes, senior citizens, young men and women unable to find jobs, families facing medical and financial catastrophes and the physically handicapped.
The Capital Campaign Committee
From left to right Josephine Guttadauro, Mark Brahney, Bonnie Featherstone-Johnson (Chairwoman), Kate McMahon, Tom Johnson, Nancy Gill, John Anderson, Christopher Brett, Gwendolyn O. Love
Since 2011, a dedicated group of volunteers came together to form the “Step Up to the Plate” capital campaign committee to plan, energize, oversee, and set the tempo for the campaign. Without fail, meetings have been held every Tuesday evening at the home of Tom and Bonnie Johnson.
Meet the Campaign Co-Chairs Danny Murphy “There is no better Bob Sickles
Michele Kuhn, Editor of the Two River Times & Danny Murphy, both Co-Chairs at the campaign kickoff
measure of a community than how it helps its own in times of need,” explained Danny Murphy, an Honorary Co-Chair of the Capital Campaign. “Lunch Break is one of the most important ways that we can serve our less fortunate neighbors. We are proud to be part of a community that recognizes and supports these needs.”
Bob Sickles (Center); Co-Chair with Jackie & Mark Brahney; President of the Board of Trustees
“The Sickle’s Family and Sickle’s Market are proud to be a big part of Lunch Break’s long history and part of this wonderful campaign. Like Sickle’s, Lunch Break is all about the community - it is the very essence of our community.”
John & Robin Klein “Lunch Break services are not a hand-out, but a “hand-up” to those who find themselves challenged.” John & Robin Klein
John & Robin Klein; Co-Chairs with Gwen Love; Executive Director
TM
WHAT WILL THE RENOVATION
DO?
The Capital Campaign will bring many critical improvements to Lunch Break, most importantly to the four centers from which Lunch Break breathes: the kitchen, the pantry, clothing, and our social services. This is what the expansion means to the gracious folks who volunteer and work there.
The Pantry: Donna Saatchi,
a full time volunteer who coordinates the constant flow of food in and out of Lunch Break, says... “I can’t wait! Cramped conditions in the basement, where the food pantry is now, limits volunteer efforts and efficiency. The new building will enable us to move our food pantry from the basement to the first floor allowing guests ground-level access enabling Lunch Break to offer a client-choice system catering to individual diet, nutritional and family needs.”
The Kitchen: Serving approximately 125 hot meals a day from a cramped kitchen is no easy feat. Chef Tyrone does it with love and makes it look effortless, though. Says Chef Tyrone,
“The new kitchen will make our work so much easier. We’ll be able to bring in more people to help and we’ll be able to put out a higher volume of meals. We’ll also be able to help out other agencies and we’re hoping to make it a teaching kitchen by bringing in culinary students from around the area.”
Suited for Success: Right now,
the Suited for Success and clothing distribution programs are located way across town in a warehouse in Shrewsbury costing Lunch Break thousands of dollars in rent every month. Inice Hennessey, full-time volunteer coordinator of the program states... “The new building will allow Lunch Break to reconsolidate all its programs under one roof. We’ll have direct contact with the guests and clients, making fittings and preparations for interviews and employment much easier. It’s so exciting!”
Social Services: Sharda Jetwani, is the program director at Lunch Break. Says Jetwani...
“The expansion will provide our extensive network of support services and local partners who come into our facility on a daily basis, (Veterans Affairs, VNA, Affordable Housing, Red Bank Resource Network, Meridian Healthcare, Legal Services and more) to meet guests/clients in private rooms enabling them to move past their circumstances and build a better life.”
Fill out the application form below - cut out and send with payment in enclosed envelope.
121 Drs. James Parker Blvd P.O. Box 2215 Red Bank, NJ 07701
Non Profit Rate Mail U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 108 Red Bank, NJ 07701
Website: www.lunchbreak.org Email: info@lunchbreak.org Telephone: 732-747-8577 Fax: 732-212-8322 Like us on Follow us on
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Thank you so much I was there this morning and I would like to tell you that your staff is wonderful. They did not treat me like I was nothing. I have never been to a place that has been so nice I felt very accepted at the lunch break. Thank you very much.
The Taylors
Your kindness may seem simple to you, but it meant everything to me.
FOODSTOCK 2014 - Help us reach our goal of 50,000 pounds. Saturday, May 17th, 11am - 2pm - Red Bank Middle School, 101 Harding Rd.
We’re so much more than a meal...
:
Soup Kitchen Food Pantry
Suited for Success
Fellowship
Homebound Delivery Social Services Network Community Garden
CREDITS Editor - Gwendolyn O. Love, Executive Director Coordinator - Jill Gwydir Writers - Kate McMahon, Jill Gwydir Photos - Millie Jeter, Betsy Wattley, Suzanne Vreeland Creative - Kate McMahon Print House - Jersey Printing Associates Designer - Pablo Marin
Kid’s Cooking Classes Employment Support School Backpack Program and more...