How a Jersey City Chick-fil-A is making a difference in more ways than one
Chick-fil-A Newport Centre has a special relationship with the Chick-fil-A Shared Table® program. The Restaurant, located in Newport Centre Mall, began participating in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program the same year it opened. Since the beginning, the Restaurant has donated surplus food each week to St. Matthew Trinity Lunchtime Ministry in nearby Hoboken.
The Lunchtime Ministry soup kitchen feeds about 100 people a day, four days a week. It offers breakfast and lunch, a place for rest, and referrals to social services. With 18% of the local population living below the poverty line and affordability challenges on the rise, the need for support continues to grow.
Demand has doubled in recent years
Local Owner-Operator of Chick-fil-A Newport Centre Dorian Petersen says the Restaurant has increased donations from one pick-up to two pick-ups a week in recent years. He estimates his team provides 9,000 pounds of surplus food annually, including surplus chicken, biscuits, and salad.
“No matter how well you plan, there is always some prepared and perishable food left over,” he says. “It’s a good feeling to know our surplus can be a meaningful gain for our neighbors.”
Teaching lessons that will last a lifetime
The Restaurant’s influence goes beyond the meals it helps provide. Dorian says his Team is benefitting, too.
“We are teaching a younger generation lessons in gratitude, empathy and service,” Dorian says. “Team Members interact with the Lunchtime Ministry volunteers and hear first-hand how much this food is appreciated.”
As a result, the Restaurant’s commitment to giving has expanded over the years.
Impact beyond the Restaurant
Last September on a Sunday, Team Members spent their day off preparing and serving meals at the Hoboken Shelter.
More recently, they organized a mug donation project for Lunchtime Ministry. They hand-painted ceramic mugs with uplifting messages and delivered them to the soup kitchen.
“It’s gratifying to see how the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program has inspired our Team to get even more involved in our community,” says Dorian. “It’s a program keeps on giving—to us, to our partners at Lunchtime Ministry, and to the Hoboken community we’re honored to serve.”
