Location
New Brunswick
Leader
Michelle Wilson, executive director
Origin
Founded in 1989 by three New Brunswick congregations as a soup kitchen in response to local hunger and poverty, Elijah’s Promise has since grown into an independent nonprofit anti‑hunger agency.
Mission/Vision
Elijah’s Promise harnesses the power of food to break the cycle of poverty, alleviate hunger and change lives. It envisions a community where no one goes hungry for lack of food or funds, where a good meal is a nutritious meal, where the community learns to steward natural and financial resources wisely and where it makes opportunity available to those who seek it. It aims to serve low-income individuals and families in the Greater New Brunswick and in the Central New Jersey region facing food insecurity and seeking job‑training needs.
Key programs
- Soup Kitchen & EP On Wheels: Mobile meal services
- Promise Culinary School: Job training in the culinary field
- Social services: Connecting low-income individuals and families with social and health services
Biggest event/fundraiser
Chef’s Night: The group’s biggest and most flavorful fundraising event of the year features incredible dishes from more than a dozen of the region’s finest restaurants, served to more than 500 guests, all at the beautiful Palace at Somerset Park — coming June 8, 2026.
Supporters/donors
It is incredibly grateful for generous corporate supporters, local officials and individual donors who make its mission possible.
One more thing
It operates a community soup kitchen, culinary arts school, a food truck that is a soup kitchen on wheels and connects low-income individuals and families with social and health services. It is currently on the road to serve over 400,000 meals throughout New Jersey in 2025.
