Dave Carney may not have grown up rich, but he always had something to eat. As a “latch key” kid with two working-class parents in 1970s Hoboken, Carney recalls coming home from school to grab a bite to eat before heading back out to play. Now that Carney is the owner of two successful local restaurants, The Madison Bar and Grill and The Clinton Social, he is proud to help make sure every child in Hoboken eats something every day.
Carney is one of six Hoboken restaurateurs who donate weekly meals to the Jubilee Center, an afterschool program for disadvantaged students from Hoboken’s housing projects. The program helps kids with their homework and keeps them busy.
“It’s a comfort to my life knowing that they can learn with a full belly,” said Carney.
On Oct. 16, all the restaurants that donate meals will be honored at the 11th Annual Jubilee Center Beloved Community Celebration at the Hudson Tea Building Residents’ Club. Other honorees include Dave and Wanda Jacey of Black Bear Bar & Grill; German Alvarado and Todd Mark Miller of Zylo Tuscan Steakhouse; Mark and Sheila Nisler of Zack’s Oak Bar & Restaurant; Mario Steriti and Amy Maurici of 10th & Willow; and Cindy Samaris, Mike Fasciano, and Margherita Fasciano from Margherita’s Pizzeria.
A full menu of activities
A hot and balanced meal is just one of the amenities offered to children at the Jubilee Center. After years operating as a homework club for students in Hoboken Housing Authority community rooms, the center moved into its current 9,000 square foot home at Sixth and Jackson Streets in 2003.
Every school day, Jubilee Center counselors pick up children from public schools around Hoboken. Once they arrive, the kids eat a healthy snack, and break up into grade levels for homework assistance and instruction. At least two counselors are present for every grade. Though the Jubilee Center was founded as an offshoot of the All Saints Episcopal Parish, it operates as a non-sectarian non-profit and provides no religious instruction.
Study time is followed by time for activities like hip hop dance, karate, art class, and computer class. Budding chefs and restaurant owners can take cooking classes where they learn to make healthy dishes with produce donated from Hoboken’s Community Supported Agriculture program.
“I consider it a cost of doing business.” – Dave Carney
____________
The Jubilee Center also organizes a yearly summer camp for its children. The program has a strong educational component starting with its D.E.A.R. initiative, under which students ‘drop everything and read’ for half an hour upon arrival. According to the center, 95 percent of students’ math, reading, and writing test scores improved over the course of the summer. The camp also includes more traditional events like a boat ride on the Hudson, a visit to the Bronx Zoo, and a four-day sleep away trip to Pennsylvania.
Meals on wheels
The catered dinner program began when the Jubilee Center reached out to the Hoboken Hospitality Association, which boasts a number of local restaurateurs as members. Each day of the school week, one of the restaurants prepares and delivers meals for 70 to 100 children. Margherita’s Pizza caters a monthly party celebrating all the birthdays of the month among the children.
The same restaurants also provide dinner for students in Jubilee’s summer camp, while Jubilee provides breakfast and lunch.
Carney described the meals his kitchen prepares for the children every Wednesday as “Madison menu items deconstructed.” A typical dinner for the Jubilee Center might include grilled marinated hanger steak with rice and vegetables rather than the spicy black beans, sweet plantains, and salsa verde that accompany it on The Madison’s dinner menu.
“We provide hot meals to children along with a vegetable or salad each night.” said Jubilee Center Executive Director David Shehigian. “Adequate nutrition is important for children because it is directly linked to all aspects of their growth and development.”
Managing 100 extra meals is no problem for the Madison’s kitchen crew, according to Carney.
“I consider it a cost of doing local business,” he added, “and it just feels good for me to give back to the community in any way I can.”
The 11th Annual Beloved Community Celebration will take place at 7 p.m. on Oct. 16. It will be held in the Residents’ Lounge of the Hudson Tea Building at 1500 Hudson St. Tickets are $250 per person and can be purchased online at jubileecenterhoboken.org. RSVPs must be received by Oct. 9. For more information, call (201) 792-0340.
Carlo Davis may be reached at cdavis@hudsonreporter.com.