lunch program

Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

For over 320 years, St. Peter’s had stood at the Crossroads of life in Freehold, with a special focus on serving both spiritual and physical needs of others.

The St. Peter’s lunch program is an integral ministry at the Crossroads of life today in Freehold, proving thousands of meals each year, along with dignity, hospitality, and a welcoming place of rest for anyone who comes to our doors.

Food Donations Sign-Up Genius
Make a Monetary Donation
 

What We Do

  • Every Wednesday and Thursday, volunteers assemble and distribute grab-and-go lunches to anyone who needs one. A typical lunch includes two sandwiches, water, a salty snack, a sweet snack, and a breakfast bar.

    We currently distribute about 500 meals per day – more than 50,000 meals per year.

  • Guests are invited into the dining room of our Crossroads building for soup, coffee, or cool drinks. Volunteers offer table-side service in a relaxed, welcoming environment.

    We serve 70–100 guests daily.

  • Students from The Shore Center for Autism, the Arc of Monmouth County, and special-needs programs in Freehold Borough and Colts Neck High School help prepare lunches each week. Supported by their educators and caregivers, these students make the majority of our sandwiches while gaining social experience and the joy of serving others.

    We host 10–15 students and caregivers per day.

 

Community

Service Opportunities

Because the program operates under St. Peter’s 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, we can provide community service documentation for:

- High school and college students

- National Honor Society

- Corporate volunteer programs

- Individuals needing service hours

We issue 15–20 service acknowledgments per week.

Our History

  • 1702: St. Peter’s Church is established

  • 1736: St. Peter’s receives the land for its current location on Throckmorton St.

  • 1998: A three-day-a-week soup kitchen opened in St. Peter’s parish hall, led by Jim Benedict.

  • 2019: Jim Benedict retired and The Blessing Bag Brigade took over stewardship of the program.

  • 2020: The program shifted to a grab-and-go model during COVID as part of The Blessing-Bag Brigade.

  • 2021: Moved into our newly dedicated Crossroads building.

  • 2022: The Lunch program transferred from The Blessing Bag Brigade to the St. Peter’s Church organizational structure, becoming an official ministry of St. Peter’s and joined our other outreach programs and ministry partners (Open Door Pantry, Thrift Shop, Community Suppers, Emergency Housing, AA, Al-Anon).

  • 2023: Added the Soup on the Side hospitality service, returning to offering indoor hospitality with a hot beverage and meal.

  • 2024: The Community Supper volunteers, many of whom have served for decades, received the First Annual St. Peter’s Crossroads Community Service Award at a gala banquet.

How We Are Funded

The Lunch Program operates entirely through:

  • Donated sandwiches and food items from schools, churches, and community groups

  • Monetary donations, which—no matter how small—have a meaningful cumulative impact

  • Corporate “donations-in-kind,” such as grocery gift cards

  • Occasional corporate and individual grants

  • The use of the Crossroads building provided by St. Peter’s

Food donations fluctuate throughout the year, so purchased supplies fill the gaps needed to keep the program running.

Additionally, while food is generally donated, there are overhead costs for packaging supplies, items to fill out the lunch bag, and upkeep of our use of the premises.

Contact Us

For more information, volunteering, or donating:

Linus Fetter – (732) 822-0371
Margie Golden – (732) 267-2320

or email us

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
33 Throckmorton Street, Freehold, NJ 07728
www.stpetersfreehold.org