How You Can Start and Operate a Soup Kitchen

Mission Possible: How You Can Start and Operate a Soup Kitchen

Services to Spur the Development of New Soup Kitchens

Visits to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen:

If you would like to learn more about the operation of the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen you can arrange a site visit and/or seminar at TASK by contacting Dennis Micai, the soup kitchen’s Director, at (609) – 695-5456 ext. 101 or dennism@trentonsoupkitchen.org. For further information on TASK's services and programs go to www.trentonsoupkitchen.org

At this time you will meet the wonderful staff of TASK and see first-hand the magic of this special place. There is no fee for the site visit/lecture.

Services to spur the development of new soup kitchens

Consulting at your location:

Authors Irwin Stoolmacher and Peter Wise are available for in-the-field consulting with groups seeking additional in depth information or input regarding starting a new or sustaining an existing soup kitchen. Irwin Stoolmacher can be reached at Stoolgroup@aol.com and Peter Wise at
petekathy9aol.com.

Fees are based on amount of time required at site to respond to the specific need. In addition, air or rail transportation will be billed based on actual cost and meals at the current federal per diem rate.

The above authors are also available for presentations on the book’s content before groups, organizations and at conventions.

Workshop: Should You Start a Soup Kitchen?

Summary: This three-hour workshop is designed to ascertain whether it is realistic for your group to start a soup kitchen in your community. The workshop can be conducted at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK), at a community site or at a regional or national gathering.

It begins with the crucial questions of whether there is a need in your community for a soup kitchen or whether, perhaps, some other approach to address the needs of the hungry is more appropriate.

The workshop will systematically reviews the ten key requirements for opening and operating a soup kitchen and evaluates your capacity and readiness for undertaking this challenging undertaking.

Instructors: The seminar is led by Irwin Stoolmacher and Peter Wise who have more than 30 year of experience working with the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK). They are co-authors, with Martin Tuchman, of Mission Possible: How You Can Start and Operate a Soup Kitchen, which is a product of that experience.

Workshop Content: The workshop will provide practical and crucial information of the following topics (2.5 hours):

  1. Introduction: defining the need & scope of mission
  2. Should you incorporate as a nonprofit?
  3. Your location and your facility
  4. Start-up public relations and marketing
  5. Acquiring food & food safety requirements
  6. Financial management
  7. Raising funds
  8. Volunteer recruitment
  9. Patron relations
  10. Safety & security

Optional Tour of the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen: You will be guided on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK) by the soup kitchen’s staff.

Wrap-up question and answer session: You will be provided with a comprehensive checklist to help you determine whether the need exists and whether you have the assets, resources and organizational capability to establish and operate a soup kitchen in your community (.5 hours).

Workshop Cost: The U.S. cost of the workshop is $1,500 plus direct expenses (travel, lodging, and meals at the current federal per diem rate). The cost for the workshop outside the continental United States is $2,500. This price includes all hand-out materials in English.