MISSION POSSIBLE is a book with a simple purpose: to spur the development of new soup kitchens where they are needed

The book and the website are underwritten by the Tuchman Foundation, headed by Martin Tuchman, the conceiver of the project and one of the book’s co-authors.

The book contains 14 chapters and 4 appendices. Each chapter is composed of two sections: a two to three page overview of the subject followed by a list of tips, guides to some of the more subtle operations of a soup kitchen.

The book is organized in chronological fashion. It will take you from very conceptual considerations to relatively detailed instructions on the most common challenges you will face. In all cases, our essential goal has been to be practical and helpful.

Since the books release in July 2011 and its availability as a downloadable file, individuals in all 50 states and more than 150 different countries have downloaded the book.

Latest News & Events

Trump’s Attack on Basic Democratic Norms
The Trentonian Newapaper
By Irwin Stoolmacher

Polls reveal that wage stagnation was one of the underlying reasons blue collar working-class voters in the rust belt voted for Donald Trump. These voters were very angry about being disregarded by politicians on both sides of the aisle, as their wages stagnated for decades. It is a group that in a study by Princeton University Nobel Prize winner Angus Deaton and his wife Anne Case was found to have had an alarming spike in their mortality rate in the period 1999 to 2013 as their dreams of the good life vanished for themselves and their children. Denton and Case called it “death by despair.”

Unions Help Level the Planning Field
The Trentonian Newapaper
By Irwin Stoolmacher

Let me put my cards on the table. I’m pro-union. My daughter is the Manager of Membership and Administration of the New England Office of SAG-AFTRA. I believe that strong unions are one of the most effective means available to level the playing field in America. I’m concerned that the gap between the rich and the poor will grow even wider if union membership continues to decline (now half of what it was in 1983).

Reflections on the Bridegate Scandal
The Trentonian Newapaper
By Irwin Stoolmacher

Julie Roginsky is a very savvy Democratic operative, who I generally agree with. However, I don’t agree with her recent comment regarding Bridgegate. Here’s what Julie said, “I have a very big problem with the notion that we are sending anyone to prison for a dumb stunt that doesn’t merit incarceration.”

Excessive Hubris in Mercer County Politics
The Trentonian Newapaper
By Irwin Stoolmacher

This column is going to explore some possible explanations for the recent bizarre political behavior in the City of Trenton and Hamilton Township.

Let’s start with the City of Trenton. Municipal government is by-and-large dysfunctional. The level of antagonism towards Mayor Gusciora by the majority of the Council is palatable. The Council rejected a development proposal that would have brought a significant number of jobs to Trenton and replaced an eyesore in the Roebling Complex with an attractive new building. Granted the Mayor could have done a better job of presenting the project to Council -- not as a fait accompli but rather a joint undertaking of the Administration and Council. Nonetheless, the Council rejection of the Princetel proposal to redevelop the rundown Roebling building known as Block II was wrong and, like many of their actions, irresponsible and counterproductive. The Council definitely has oversight responsible but not carte blanche to take actions that are detrimental to Trenton’s best interest simply because they do not like the way the Mayor, or for that matter the State, is operating.

The Inequality Gap is Growing
The Trentonian Newapaper
By Irwin Stoolmacher

Professional golfer Matt Kuchar’s financial treatment of his caddie in the Mayakoba Golf Classic late last year was the embodiment of the “ugly un-sharing American.” Kuchar won $1.296 million in the tournament in Mexico and initially paid his substitute caddy $5,000. A controversy erupted as many claimed that Kurchar had, for all intensive purposes, stiffed this local caddy. Normally tour caddies receive 10 percent of a player’s winnings. Kuchar’s regular caddie, John Wood, couldn’t work the week of Mayakoba, so Kuchar hired a local caddie.

Money and New Jersey Politics
The Trentonian Newapaper
By Irwin Stoolmacher

The two kingpins of New Jersey politics, Governor Phil Murphy and power broker George Norcross III, are both very rich and have used their enormous wealth to secure political power. They are evidence that Jesse Unruh, the former powerful Speaker of the California Assembly, got it right when he said: “Money is the mother’s milk of politic.”

2020: Pete Buttigieg my new long-shot choice
The Trentonian Newapaper
By Irwin Stoolmacher

On February 13th my column’s headline was “2020: Bloomberg my choice at this juncture.” Bloomberg decided not to run, so here is my new pick - the self-described 37-year-old “Midwestern millennial Mayor” of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg (pronounced "buddha-judge" or “boot-edge-edge). If elected, Buttigieg would be the youngest President in our nation’s history, the first candidate ever to jump from City Hall to the White House and our first openly gay President.

People Who Make My Skin Crawl
The Trentonian Newapaper
By Irwin Stoolmacher

Actor Jussie Smollett, Governor Chris Christie and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham all make my skin crawl.

Jussie Smollett has beat the rap and will not face prison time or have a record for filing a false police report pertaining to a concocted attack he planned and had executed. The Cook County prosecutor dropped all 16 counts against Smollet. His only punishment was two days of community service and the forfeiting his $10,000 bond. This action was taken in spite of the fact that the Illinois prosecutor believed that Smollett staged the racist and homophoic attack and was not innocent. “Our priority is violent crimes and the drivers of violence, Jussie Smollett is neither of those,” Joseph Magat told CBS News when asked why his office would abandon the case if he felt the actor was guilty.

The Dysfunctional Trenton Municipal Government
The Trentonian Newapaper
By Irwin Stoolmacher

Over the past thirty plus years I have worked with a wide range of nonprofit organizations in the City of Trenton whose missions are to assist those who need a helping hand. Municipal government could learn a lot about how to operate from observing the way Trenton’s charities work collaboratively.

Trenton Catholic Academy and Sister Dorothy Payne
The Trentonian Newapaper
By Irwin Stoolmacher

Sister Dorothy Payne, the President of Trenton Catholic Academy (TCA) and a humble, compassionate, powerful, fearless leader passed away on February 3, leaving a legacy that must be continued.

A Progressive Perspective: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
The Trentonian Newapaper
By Irwin Stoolmacher

The Good

Two good compromises were recently reached. One was in New Jersey and the other in Los Angeles. In New Jersey, a compromise was reached that increased the minimum wage from $8.75 per hour to $15 by 2024. During his campaign for Governor, Phil Murphy strongly committed to the drive for $15. To strike a deal with Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex) the Governor agreed to push back the implementation deadline for farm workers and seasonal and small businesses. Unfortunately, the compromise didn’t include a carve-out for teens 16-18 years of age.

Editorial: Proposed cuts to food program are immoral
By NCR Editorial Staff

Sometimes it feels hard to keep up with the myriad scandals swirling around the Trump White House. From alleged payoffs to a porn star and ongoing inquiries into Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election, the headlines come at a dizzying pace. The lurid spectacle of it all should not blind us to actual policy scandals that make a mockery of the administration's laughable claim to being "pro-life."

Op-Ed: Drastic SNAP Cuts Would Be Devastating Domestic Disaster
The Times of Trenton Newapaper
By Irwin Stoolmacher

In New Jersey, some 850,000 people receive more than $1 billion annually from SNAP to help buy food. Converting the program to a block grant would slash funds

Hunger affects one out of seven American men, woman, and children. Some 42.2 million Americans live in food-insecure households, including more than 13 million children. For this reason, America faces a potentially devastating domestic malnutrition disaster if the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp program) is converted to a block grant program and funding is slashed by $150 billion over 10 years.

With Money So Tight, We Need to Get Rid of Poor-Performing Charities
The Times of Trenton Newapaper
By Irwin Stoolmacher

America faces a potentially devastating domestic disaster the likes of which we have not seen in our history. As more and more charities seek money to deal with escalating problems, private support is stagnant and government money is on the decline.

A recent message received on the Mission Possible website from a Social Worker in Rhode Island

I saw your book advertised in the SUNY Binghamton Alumni News. I am a clinical social worker living in Rhode Island. Part of what I do here is run a transitional house for homeless adults. The Board and I are meeting shortly to consider new projects that we might undertake, as services for caring for the homeless population have undergone some shifts which have presented us with new challenges.

Book receives praise from South Africa

I just want to say thank you for the book. I'm based in South Africa and working with the Ward Councillor who wants to start several soup kitchens for his community. Thank You!

Archived News

Glowing Praise for Mission Possible:

"In these rough and tumble times, when the number of our neighbors who are hungry, or who are coming up short during any given month continues to escalate, the publishing of Mission Possible could not be more timely. The authors have done a great job of taking what was learned at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) and used that base to build a bold "soup kitchen primer". If you want to start a kitchen, make yours more powerful or just learn more, then this is a great introduction. If you see need in your community, don’t wait…read this book, get involved, step UP…we need your help." - Robert L.E. Egger President, DC Central Kitchen Campus Kitchens Project/V3 Campaign

"This is the best and most complete guide that I have ever seen for anyone considering beginning a soup kitchen. Step by step it will guide - it covers everything - but it is so much more. For those soup kitchens ready to do more than provide a meal, this is a guide for you too. Food banks across the country are actively involved in building the capacity of the charities they serve. This is a great tool for doing just that." - Kathleen F. DiChiara | President and CEO |Community Food Bank of New Jersey

"Working in a soup kitchen is one the hardest yet most fulfilling tasks. Most, soup kitchen work is holy work. It’s God’s work. Of course, we need to abolish hunger, poverty, war and nuclear weapons, but as we work for justice, we need to feed our hungry neighbors, for they are God in disguise. This book shows us how to do that. It’s helpful, immediately practical and encouraging. I hope it inspires many people to feed the hungry." - Rev. John Dear, author, The Question of Jesus and A Persistent Peace

"Mission Possible is important and unfortunately most relevant for the simple but urgent fact that growing numbers of Americans go hungry due to the lack of money to purchase food. The authors are well respected leaders in the community with recognized skills and competence in the non-profit sector. This book is an outstanding overview of how to establish or enhance the functioning of Soup Kitchens, using the best practices of non-profit management." - Fran Dolan, Former Executive Director, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Trenton

"Mission Possible is a practical, deeply inspiring guide filled with basic information on how to start a soup kitchen. It is needed now more than ever." - Loretta Schwartz-Nobel, Author, Growing Up Empty: How Federal Policies are Starving America’s Children; Starving in the Shadow of Plenty

"Almost everyone wants to do something to make a difference. Visionary leaders of the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (T.A.S.K) have made a huge difference in the lives of their patrons and in those of us who have been privileged to work with them. Mission Possible is about the best practices that have changed peoples' lives for the better through a soup kitchen. Here's the model. Make a difference!" - E. Roy Riley, Bishop, New Jersey Synod, ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)

Want us to Speak at Your Event?

Authors Irwin Stoolmacher and Peter Wise are available to speak at your next conference or event.

Presentation Topics

Soup Kitchens: Band-Aid or Solution?
Are Soup Kitchen's Still Relevant?
How to Start a Soup Kitchen.
Soup Kitchens: Part of the problem or part of the solution?

Learn More

About the Authors

Irwin S. Stoolmacher, Martin Tuchman & Peter C. Wise have more than thirty-five years of in the trenches experience working with the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK).

Download Now

Download the entire book (PDF, 5.78 MB) complete with artwork.

How You Can Start and Operate a Soup Kitchen

MISSION POSSIBLE is a book with a simple purpose: to spur the development of new soup kitchens where they are needed

The Good