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Elijah's Promise serves up food,fellowship to needyBy Kathleen G. Sutcliffe, Home News Tribune, December 5,2004NEW BRUNSWICK: The cheery atmosphere at Elijah's Promise surprises some visitors to the New Brunswick-based soup kitchen, said the organization's executive director, Lisanne Finston. Some people kind of expect to walk into a place that's unkempt and chaotic," Finston said. "Then they see the walls are painted bright colors with lots of decorations made by local Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts." Elijah's Promise, located at 18 Neilson St., serves meals twice daily on weekdays and once on weekends to those in need. Elijah's Promise provides an average of 125 to 200 meals each mealtime, Finston said, and in 2003 served more than 97,000 meals. But despite the growing need, the organization remains committed to granting its clients a bit of respite, along with a nutritious meal. All meals open with grace and the soup kitchen's low-income patrons receive a rare opportunity to be served, restaurant-style, at their seats by volunteers. The organization receives 40 percent of its funds from general community contributions, Finston said. "We really do rely heavily on Mr. Jones' $10 contribution," she said. About 18 percent of the organization's funds come from government support and about 30 percent comes from foundations like the Home News Tribune's Needy Cases Fund, which has pledged $7,500 to the organization this year. Finston said the organization sees a spike in clients toward the middle of the month, as those on fixed incomes run low on money. "It used to not be until the end of the month, but the cost of living is so far out of reach for people on fixed incomes, that by the second week they've pretty much spent all their food-stamp allowance," Finston said. Elijah's' Promise also strives to serve healthful food. "In the old days, the philosophy was 'Something is better than nothing,' but today in our health-conscious society we're seeing that … We need to give them something besides the sugar- and saIt-Iaden canned foods." Elijah's Promise was incorporated in 1989, an outgrowth of Lunch on the House of God, which was founded by three local churches in the early 1980s. Donations to the Needy Cases Fund may be mailed to the Needy Cases Fund, c/o the Home News Tribune, 35 Kennedy Blvd" East Brunswick, NJ 08816. Contributions also may be made via the Internet by going to www.thnt.com and linking to Needy Cases.
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