Helping those in need

Residents respond to local needs.

By: Jessica Beym
   While many Cranbury residents have lent their hearts and hands to help those affected by the tsunami and hurricane, there are those just a few miles away who continue to suffer every day.
   And some residents are making sure that those folks are taken care of as well.
   Through his work at the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Cranbury resident Wayne Girardet is reminded of the need to help people, no matter where or who they are.
   "By and large, we’ve had a lot of guys deployed overseas, but our military also functions on disasters right here," Dr. Girardet said. "Our department is all about helping people. It’s what we stand for."
   After Hurricane Katrina, the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs collected and donated about 3 million bottles of water to the Gulf region, but Dr. Girardet said they still have about 1 million bottles left.
   They hope to bring the remaining bottles to Dr. Girardet’s neighbor, the director of the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, Peter Wise.
   TASK is a nonprofit private organization that serves more than 3,000 meals a week to hungry people in the Trenton area and has been doing so since the 1980s. TASK is located at 72 Escher St. and, in addition to serving lunch and dinner Monday through Friday, the kitchen also offers other services such as providing donated clothing and educational tutoring.
   Last month, Dr. Girardet also helped to organize a coat drive in which the employees at the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs collected and donated 100 coats to the patrons of the soup kitchen.
   But Mr. Wise’s neighbor isn’t the only resident helping TASK.
   Earlier this month, Lori Pawlak of Cranbury Neck Road organized a service project with her sixth-grade class at the Queenship of Mary school in Plainsboro.
   The students, who were learning about their religion’s dedication to volunteerism, used their own money to buy food and then put together 40 bag lunches, which they brought to Mr. Wise.
   Ms. Pawlak said the students realized the importance of their services after they received a thank you letter from Mr. Wise.
   "It really brought the whole experience full circle," said Ms. Pawlak. "I don’t think they realized there are so many hungry people living so close by."
   During the holidays, Mr. Wise said, it’s common to have a high volunteer turnout, as opposed to the summer months or other times of the year.
   "The reality is, at this time of year people are thinking about volunteering," said Mr. Wise. "People are more sensitized to doing this type of community outreach. It’s getting colder out, it’s the holiday season, the time to be thankful and people respond to that."
   Mr. Wise said there has been no shortage of volunteers in the kitchen during the past couple months.
   Because the kitchen is closed on the weekends, there were no meals served on Christmas, but on Thanksgiving more than 100 people volunteered to serve at the kitchen. Mr. Wise said he had to cap off the number of volunteers and cut the time down into two-hour shifts. That day, the soup kitchen served over 900 meals.
   This year alone, the soup kitchen served 170,000 meals, up from last year’s mark of 160,000. And as the lines during mealtime continue to grow, so does the need for financial assistance.
   "We get very little money from the government. We rely on the donor base," said Mr. Wise.
   Last month, TASK sent out the annual holiday appeal letters to individuals and corporations who have donated in the past, as well as to other individuals. The letters serve as a reminder that donations are always needed, especially during the holidays.
   But with this year’s unfortunate string of natural disasters many nonprofit organizations are concerned with donor fatigue.
   "These disasters, they work both ways," said Dr. Girardet. "They heighten people’s awareness of the needs of poor people in our own society, but at the same time people are adversely affected because they cut back on local donations. It’s a mixed blessing."
   Mr. Wise said he is hoping the new year will bring better luck for the soup kitchen.
   "I was told that donor fatigue will be a big a concern for nonprofit sectors this year. But right now it’s too early to tell how we’ll do," said Mr. Wise.
   To become a volunteer or a donor, visit the Web site at www.trentonsoupkitchen.com or call the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen at (609) 695-5456