LAST CHANCE: Food and Wine Tasting to Benefit Lunch Break

Red Bank Rotary Club sponsoring the Two River event

Jazzin' It Up for Lunch Break

Jazz concert to benefit the Red Bank organization

30 and Thriving: Lunchbreak to Celebrate 30 Years Serving the Community

The county's first soup kitchen will hold an open house on Thursday, March 14 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Lunch Break's Love Honored by Scouts

Love, of the Red Bank non-profit soup kitchen, was one of six honorees

Lunch Break's Gwendolyn Love was recently one of a few area honorees at the Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore's Women of Distinction and Community Partners Gala. The scouts raised more than $170,000 while honoring the personal, professional and community achievements of Love and five other local people and organizations at the gala on March 1 at the Battleground Country Club, Manalapan. In addition to Love, the special tribute was paid to: Kyra Citron, of the Charles Lafitte Foundation; Investors Bank's Kevin Cummings; Rhonda Figueroa, New Jersey Resources; Tindra Lanfrank, a civic volunteer; and Susan Tellone-McCoy, of the Manasquan Board of Education. Upon receiving their respective awards, each honoree expressed gratitude for the …

• Photos (1)

Allstate Rep Helps Lunch Break Secure $5K Grant

The Red Bank nonprofit was awarded the rebuilding grant from the Allstate Foundation.

PHOTOS: Local Biz Owners Get Red Carpet Treatment

Networking event was held at Buona Sera Restaurant in Red Bank

Things heated up on the red carpet upstairs at Buona Sera in Red Bank Wednesday night as local business owners gathered for the New Year Resolution Red Carpet Business Networking Party. Hosted by Jersey Shore Premiere Events, the gathering benefited Lunch Break in Red Bank. Chris Fotache, who organized the event along with Rosa Davis of Ecco Awnings, said that networking opportunities — featuring companies from Monmouth and Ocean counties — are held every six to eight weeks. Their mission is to bring small business owners together to pool resources and ideas in order to strengthen communities and help businesses grow. The next event is a fashion show on March 6 at The Watermark in Asbury Park. For more information visit Jersey Shore …

• Photos (14)

Business Networking Fundraiser Tonight at Buona Sera to Aid Lunch Break

Attendees asked to bring non-perishable food items

Buona Sera restaurant will play host to a business networking fundraiser at 6 p.m. tonight to benefit Lunch Break, the Red Bank-based soup kitchen, food pantry and social outreach center. More than 200 local business owners and local officials are expected for the fundraiser sponsored by Jersey Shore Premiere Events, said Chris Fotache, one of the organization's founders.  Guests are asked to bring non-perishable food items to donate to Lunch Break. The event also will feature opportunities to win prizes, promote businesses, take photos with Jersey Shore Premiere models and network. Tonight's event is Jersey Shore Premiere's two-year anniversary event. Last year's networking event saw more than 250 guests, including Assemblywoman Mary Pat …

• Photos (2)

Lunch Break's Thanksgiving Tradition Continues

The Red Bank soup kitchen is hosting its annual Thanksgiving Day dinner today.

Lunch Break is welcoming all to its table this Thanksgiving Day.  The Red Bank-based soup kitchen, food pantry and social outreach center is hosting its annual turkey day dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. today at its facility on Drs. James Parker Boulevard. Each Thanksgiving, Lunch Break feeds about 250 people in person. Volunteers also deliver turkey dinners to area seniors and the homebound, Lunch Break Executive Director Gwen Love said.  Though the Thanksgiving dinner has been donated in recent years, Love said this year's dinner was being cooked by Lunch Break staff, though, like always, there will be plenty to go around.  Red Bank Councilwoman Juanita Lewis asked local residents to think about those in need this Thanksgiving. If you …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Red Bank Art Benefit for Sandy

Local artist David Banegas is hosting a fundraiser to benefit Lunch Break.

Red Bank artist David Banegas and rock and roll photographer Mark Weiss are teaming up to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Sandy with a Wednesday night raffle at Banegas Gallery on Broad Street. Raffle tickets are being sold for $100 and attendees will have the chance to win an original Banegas painting of either Benjamin Franklin or Marilyn Monroe valued at $4,000. Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit Red Bank's Lunch Break and the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean County. Rock enthusiasts can also enter a second raffle for a chance to win a Banegas embellished print from a photograph by mark Weiss of Debbie Harry of Blondie taken in 1981. Tickets for that raffle are $20 a piece. Tickets for both raffles can be purchased now up …

• Videos (1)

Red Bank Charter School's Donation Crush

Word of a donation relief drive spread beyond the state, attracting donations from all over for Hurricane Sandy victims.

The Hurricane Sandy relief drive was apparently organized by the families of children at Red Bank Charter School. With parts of the state devastated by the first category one hurricane to ever hit the Jersey Shore and many homeless, a call was put out for donations of everything from canned goods to winter coats, toiletries and even diapers. Soon, word spread to families in Pennsylvania that their neighbors were in need of some help. Soon, those families asked a local radio station for help in getting the word out that donations were needed. On Monday, a 40-foot trailer pulled up to Lunch Break loaded with more than anyone, even the organization's Executive Director Gwen Love, could have expected. At around noon Monday, Love was on the …

• Photos (3)