SHIP is an acronym for Samaritan Homeless Interim Program. The SHIP office is located in Somerville and is run by Tom O'Leary. Our service has two branches: food collection and the mobile soup kitchen. Our food collection takes place once a month. Volunteers cook casseroles from prescribed recipes and drop them off at the Church. Donations of the industrial size vegetables, fruit, etc. as well as drinks are also accepted. Recipes are found below.
The mobile soup kitchen is a fully equipped food service truck. Volunteers drive into Manville every Thursday and into Somerville every second and fourth Wednesday to serve dinner to anyone who asks. The soup kitchen needs drivers and servers to adequately serve our patrons.
Please consider preparing a casserole to help feed our neighbors in the community who are not able to provide full meals for their families. There are several recipes to choose from. All recipes can be found below.
You can also consider participating in the SHIP ministry by donating drinks or large #10 vegetable cans. The most popular drinks are iced tea, soda or juice boxes, preferably in cans or boxes.
For more information about helping with casserole donations, please contact Margie McFadden at mmmcfadden1@gmail.com. If you are interested in helping with distribution of meals and assisting on the SHIP Mobile truck, contact Marie Cinque at MCTOMCAT@msn.com.
Interested in providing meals for SHIP? See below for preparation and drop-off instructions and recipes:
SOS from SHIP’s Mobile Soup Kitchen!
The SHIP Mobile Soup Kitchen is in need of people to prepare casseroles for distribution to folks in need! Please prayerfully consider assisting with this worthy cause. You would be amazed at the difference you can make in the lives of people who are in difficult times and how far your donation of a casserole can go toward alleviating the hunger of families, many with young children. If you are interested in making casseroles or have any questions, please contact Margie McFadden at 908-963-3468 or contact her via e-mail at mmmcfadden1@gmail.com.
THE SHIP TRUCK NEEDS DRIVERS!
SHIP, the Samaritan Homeless Interim Program, serves the needs of the poor and working poor in Somerset County. One of SHIP’s programs is its Mobile Soup Kitchen. It is part of an ongoing effort to reduce hunger in our community. Volunteers from Saint Bernard not only prepare the wholesome meals for SHIP’s clients, but also drive the truck and serve the meals at Sacred Heart Church in Manville every Thursday and at the Reformed Church in Somerville on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month.
We are in desperate need of drivers for the Mobile Soup Kitchen truck! As a driver, no special driver’s license is needed, but you do need to be at least 26 years old. It is not difficult to drive the truck, but training will be provided. If you prefer, it is also helpful that the driver have a lieutenant or second to assist him or her. The time commitment is only two hours every 4-6 weeks in the early evening. All that is involved is loading the food on the truck at SHIP’s home port in Somerville, driving to the feeding site in either Somerville or Manville, then returning to Somerville and making sure the truck is ready for the next day. If you are interested in driving, or have any questions, please contact Marie Cinque at 908-252-3744 or contact her via e-mail at mctomcat@msn.com.
Monetary donations to SHIP are always most needed. Donations may be made & other info is available on the SHIP website at
https://www.ship908.com/index.html
Donations of needed items may be made Monday through Friday from 8:30AM to 2:00 PM at SHIP's location:
87 East High St.
Somerville, NJ 08876
If you have any questions, you can contact SHIP at 908-393-9545 or email at SHIP908@optonline.net