Saturday Soup seeks restaurant partners

CHRISTINE BURKE David Burke (center) is joined by Saturday Soupco-chairs JoAnn Lapp, Rumson, (l) and Erin Burgdorf, Deal, and executive chef Kevin Haeger as preparations begin for the Saturday Soup Thanksgiving project.

A program that provides Thanksgiving meals to those in need is seeking to enlist restaurants and food purveyors in the outreach.

"Everybody deserves a great meal on Thanksgiving," said David Burke, a celebrity chef who has created two special dishes for the Junior League of Monmouth County's Saturday Soup Thanksgiving project, held annually the Saturday before Thanksgiving at Trinity Church in Asbury Park for more than 20 years. Junior League members roll up their sleeves to serve more than 200 men, women and children a complete Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings donated by area restaurants and individuals. According to the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, more than 100,000 people in our area, half of them children and the elderly, live on incomes that put them at risk of hunger at some time of each month. Many of these adult individuals are working poor or in a crisis situation.

"When we heard about Saturday Soup, we immediately decided to make 400 servings of two of my favorite holiday side dishes, enough for the Thanksgiving meal and leftovers," said Burke, among the most influential chefs in American cooking.

"For many of the people attending Saturday Soup, it is the only Thanksgiving dinner they may have; we're grateful for generous supporters like the Fromagerie of Rumson that help serve the community, which is part of the mission of the Junior League," said Junior League President Janet Shinnick, of Little Silver.

Restaurants and food suppliers are needed to provide food for the meal. To donate, contact the junior league at (732) 842-2039 or e-mail info@jlmc.org.