Food Security for 100% of the population in Auburn, NY

Auburn Hunger Task Force, Inc is a 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit soup kitchen located in Auburn, NY. We’re working towards establishing a single permanent location which will provide free meals for anyone in need. 

The 4 INTENTIONS (GOALS) of Auburn Hunger Task Force, Inc are:

  1. To provide a permanent soup kitchen that ensures no future gaps in service. Many of the organizations currently hosting free meals for those in need do not have the resources to accommodate the level of hunger relief needed within our community. 
  2. To establish a single, accessible location. Current emergency meal services are occasionally located within areas which are inaccessible to the community members who need them most, many of whom travel on foot or are limited to public transportation routes. HTF wishes to establish a facility within a high-need region, which is also easily accessible by bus. 
  3. To provide a reliable meal schedule. With the current variety of organizations serving temporary emergency meals, individuals with a hunger need must juggle a schedule of times, dates, and five different locations in order to attend the correct facility that’s open on the day they have a need. With minimal access to current schedules and information printed online, uncertainty is a significant roadblock to even finding where meals are being served. 
  4. To combat loneliness and isolation by providing a place of safety, community, and companionship to those who may be most in need of it. Some men and women who utilize the soup kitchen have expressed the fact that community meals are their only source of interaction with other people. Loneliness is a significant contributor to mental health crises, and simple access to regular socialization and friendly companionship is extremely important to happiness and well-being. 

The 4 STEPS towards achieving our vision of food security are:

  1. To provide a permanent, reliable, and strategically-located Monday-Friday soup kitchen within the city of Auburn, NY. 
  2. To develop a self-sustaining business strategy that ensures continued funding of the program, even in the absence of grants. This may resemble adding a new branch to the organization – development of a program for running a for-profit catering service or high quality home delivery meal for paying customers, whose regular subscription-style business would directly fund the needs of the soup kitchen. 
  3. To end immediate hunger through meals, but to also end long-term hunger by helping individuals to establish sustainable living practices through job training and education. We may;
    1. Provide food service training to clients within our own commercial kitchen. 
    2. Partner with Literacy Volunteers of Cayuga County to assist clients in improving gaps in literacy + improving employability. 
    3. Assist with career counseling such as resume workshops and job search assistance.
    4. Direct trained clients toward further food service opportunities such as the culinary programs at BOCES and CCC. Providing a clear pathway for our clients into careers in food service will equip them with lifelong tools for sustaining themselves and their families.
  4. To provide dining with dignity to our food-insecure community members. The soup kitchen should provide a safe, uplifting, and beautiful atmosphere, such as one might enjoy at any hospitable restaurant or place of community gathering. Simple but attractive tables and decorative elements show respect for the community members we serve. The menu may be expanded to provide a small variety of daily choices, and volunteers may provide tableside service to clients. 

We can all help feed our hungry neighbors.

You can provide a daily hot meal to a person in need by making a donation in any amount to the Auburn Hunger Task Force. Checks may be mailed to AHTF, 9 Baker Ave, Auburn, NY 13021. We also accept Paypal donations at: AuburnHungerTaskForce@gmail.com. To register as a volunteer at our soup kitchen, please email us with the subject line “VOLUNTEER”.

Larger donations and corporate sponsorships will be directed towards securing a permanent residence for the soup kitchen to ensure perpetual uninterrupted service to our community members with food insecurity. 

Thank you very kindly for your interest in this important cause.