Red Bank’s Lunch Break will move to an interim location during construction on its home facilities, the social services nonprofit announced Wednesday.
A rendering of the Lunch Break makeover now underway on Drs. James Parker Boulevard. (Rendering by Kellenyi Johnson Wagner. Click to enlarge.)
Starting Friday, meal service, pantry and clothing operations will operate out of at the St. Anthony of Padua Parish Center at 16 Oratory Way (the block of Herbert Street to the east of Bridge Avenue that was recently renamed by the borough council).
The dining room will be open for breakfast 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m, Monday through Friday, and lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., for walk-ins only. Grab-and-go service will be available.
Traditional Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas brunch also will be served at St. Anthony’s. Friday Community Dinner and Saturday breakfast will be temporarily suspended until 2023.
Lunch Break’s home at 121 Drs. James Parker Boulevard is in the midst of a $12 million expansion that will increase the building area to 8,000 square feet, from 3,000. Construction is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023.
The temporary relocation occurs amid soaring demand for assistance, the nonprofit said in its announcement. Since January, Lunch Break has provided more than 72,000 dine-in and grab-and-go meals, a 12-percent increase year-to-date over 2021. The Client Choice pantry has recorded more than 16,000 food pickups, a 27-percent increase, it said.
“We appreciate the community’s cooperation during our transition of critical resources to temporary locations while construction of our new center is under way,” Director of Operations Kevin McGee said in the announcement. “Lunch Break will continue to provide updates on social media and our website throughout construction, so that our neighbors will be reassured that all vital services will be available without interruption.”
Also relocating to St. Anthony’s is the Clara’s Closet clothing boutique. Monthly clothing giveaways will resume after the move. Clothing donations are temporarily suspended until further notice.
Beginning in January, the Client Choice Pantry will relocate to the current Lunch Break dining room at 121 Drs. James Parker Boulevard, returning to its former model of in-person, twice-monthly grocery shopping.
The Holiday Toy & Gift Card Program will not be affected by the relocations and will continue as in previous years.
Updates will be posted to social media and on the Lunch Break website.
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