Ministry
     An interfaith organization in the heart of Rahway, Food For Friends provides hot meals, bagged food, and essential human services to the community.

     The Food For Friends weekly soup kitchen at Second Presbyterian was started in February, 1991. The soup kitchen serves a hot meal to 65-130 people every Saturday, beginning at 12 noon. Six teams of volunteers operate the kitchen. Each team shops for, and prepares, lunch once every six weeks. Lunch consists of meat, vegetable and/or salad, a starch, dessert and coffee, iced tea with fresh or canned fruit.

     The food distribution operates on a monthly basis, the last full week of the month, usually the third week. Over 200 bags of food, packed and distributed by volunteers, are given out according to the number of people in any given family. The bags contain proteins, soups, vegetables, fruit, starches, dry milk and various other items.

     Holiday programs include a traditional Thanksgiving Day Dinner with all the trimmings, a Christmas breakfast complete with gifts from Santa on Christmas morning and a visit from the Easter Bunny over Easter weekend.

     Due to continuing changes in the rules for public assistance for people in crisis, decreasing employment opportunities in the Rahway area, and the absence of services in our community, needs have increased.