Somerset County Teens Cook Dozens Of Meals For Neighbors

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — On Sunday afternoons in Basking Ridge, local teens gather in the kitchen at Chabad of Somerset County and spend two hours cooking meals for Somerset County residents in need.

The program, called Kitchen of Kindness, is a partnership between CTeen of Somerset County and the Food Bank Network of Somerset County.

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Each session produces more than 80 home-cooked meals, according to Kitchen of Kindness.

The teens prepare the food, and the Food Bank distributes it to neighbors across the county.

Organizers said the menu changes from session to session, with dishes including vegetarian chili with cornbread and rice, baked falafel with hummus and Israeli salad, and spiced chicken with roasted vegetables and couscous.

The teens also bake desserts such as oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

To date, the group has delivered hundreds of meals to the Food Bank.

"We're really thrilled to get these prepared meals, and our clients love them," said Steve Katz, Executive Director of the Food Bank Network of Somerset County. "I really appreciate the partnership and the work we're doing together, and I hope it will be a long and mutually beneficial one."

The cooking sessions take place in Chabad's licensed kitchen in Basking Ridge.

Along with preparing meals, the program also serves as a social outlet for teens, with time spent cooking alongside catching up and meeting new people.

"I came to cook, and I ended up finding a group of friends," said Elle Menker, CTeen Volunteering Leader. "It's a really nice way to spend a Sunday, and you leave knowing the food is going to someone who needs it."

Menker first joined CTeen last year for Kitchen of Kindness and now leads the group's volunteering efforts.

According to Kitchen of Kindness, teens who start with a Sunday in the kitchen often return for other activities, including visits with residents at a local senior center, game nights and a weekend Shabbaton with Jewish teens from around the world.

Organizers also said a new CTeen lounge is expected to open soon.

"Kitchen of Kindness is often where it starts," said Rabbi Eli Landes, who directs CTeen of Somerset County. "Teens come in to help feed people in need. Before long, they've found friends, a community and a deeper connection to who they are as Jews, and CTeen starts to feel like home."

The partnership is continuing to grow, according to the program information, and CTeen plans to expand Kitchen of Kindness as more teens get involved.

More information is available from Rabbi Eli Landes at elandes@chabadcentral.org or 908-604-8844 ext. 213.

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