Every day, between 30 to 40 volunteers arrive at Escher Street representing different backgrounds, ages and experiences. Yet remarkably, every single person shares the same goal: to help serve a hot, nourishing meal with dignity and respect.

Six days a week, friendly volunteers plate up freshly-prepared food while others graciously set TASK’s delicious, nutritious meals before guests with a smile and a kind greeting. In the dining room, volunteers also hand out fresh coffee, fruit, salad and distribute to-go meals. On the food truck, volunteers bag up TASK’s signature meals and greet long lines of people with a hot meal to take home.

Off-site, hundreds of others support TASK’s mission by running donation drives and collecting much-needed items like shelf-stable food and other basic necessities. Volunteers from all over the community also get together to wrap utensil packets, create hygiene kits and make supplemental meal bags given to diners for times when TASK isn’t open.

This past year, volunteer Valarie Embrey (pictured bottom right in yellow) not only contributed to fund the TASK food truck for a day of service but also secured a matching gift and volunteered on the truck. Says Embrey of the experience,

“I know that nothing in my life would be possible without the generosity of others. Giving back brings me real joy [and] I hope that I can inspire others.”

THANK YOU to all of TASK’s volunteers for your tireless efforts and open hearts.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities at TASK, please visit: trentonsoupkitchen.org/get-involved/