25 Years of Nourishing Sussex County
Born from kindness, sustained by community.
The concept of Harvest House began back in 1997 when a group of 13 Vernon Township High School students and their teacher, Fran Spielhagen, started a research project to learn about hunger in our nation. These students soon realized that hunger was not a problem only “out there”, but one that was right in the peaceful place where they lived. They saw a growing need among their neighbors, the elderly, single moms, working families, and those who had fallen on hard times. The students discovered people in their own community facing hardship who had no reliable access to a hot, nourishing meal.
Some students visited the Market Street Mission in Morristown and Eva’s Kitchen in Paterson, but both were a 50-minute drive from their hometown. At the Manna House in Newton, a 30-minute drive from home, the students felt they were serving their neighbors because the urban programs served transient clients. After noticing her students’ continued interest in the hunger project, Speilhagen decided to pursue funding for a second year of research. This marked the start of the students’ journey to make a difference in their community by hosting what would become their first annual Harvest Festival.
The students’ dream became reality in 1999, when their project won the National Make a Difference Day Award and received a $10,000 donation from Newman’s Own, a food company that donates its profits to charity. With this start-up money, and a vote by the trustees and congregation of the First Baptist Church in Sussex, HARVEST HOUSE was born. With approval to use their facility, the building renovation began. Harvest House first officially opened its doors at the First Baptist Church in Sussex.
What began as the Vernon Township Hunger Project has grown into a five-day-a-week operation serving over 250 meals weekly.
- On February 14, 2000, at the First Baptist Church in Sussex, the first lunches were distributed.
- On October 30, 2000, hot meals began to be served on a daily basis.
- Since February 3, 2020, hot meals have been served from our new location in the rear of 37 Main St., Sussex, NJ.
Our mission has never changed: to provide a free, nutritious, hot midday meal to anyone in Sussex County who needs it.
We believe that hunger is not a character flaw; it is a circumstance. At Harvest House, no one is asked why they’ve come. They are simply welcomed, provided a meal, and treated with the dignity every person deserves.
A Quarter Century of Service
On Make A Difference Day, Hunger Project students organized the Sharing the Harvest Festival, a model soup kitchen and food pantry, held in the Vernon Twp High School cafeteria. Students prepared and served harvest soup made with vegetables donated by local farms. An estimated half-ton of food was collected throughout the school and at local supermarkets. The goal was to meet attendees' immediate needs and to survey their need for a soup kitchen in the northern end of Sussex County.
- Vernon Twp High School students won the National Make A Difference Award, a $10,000 grant.
- Vernon students hosted an Empty Bowls Luncheon and a Convocation on Hunger. Students served soup donated by J & J Restaurant, served in ceramic bowls created by the high school art students. For a $5 donation, people were invited to support the students in their quest to open their first community soup kitchen.
- The Harvest House Task Force was formed and continued its Hunger Project research.
- First Baptist Church agreed to house the Harvest House.
Harvest House opened its doors in Sussex, NJ.
Serving free lunches came at a price. Harvest House struggled with funding and needed the community's help to keep the kitchen open. Though often blessed with food donations, Harvest House still needed money to operate. That included the salaries of two part-time employees, utilities, cleaning supplies, and food not donated. The cost of utilities and food continued to increase, as did the number of clients using the program.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Harvest House continued to struggle with funding. Kelly Immesberger, our talented kitchen manager, had joined the team. She remains the only paid, part-time employee at Harvest House. New guidelines for meal pickup were implemented, and Harvest House continued to serve the community.
Celebrated 25 years of uninterrupted service. Harvest House launched a campaign to increase visibility in the community, assemble a diverse and sustainable board and volunteer base, increase donations to fund modernization and safety of our facility, and build a fund for our future.
Dignity. Community. Consistency.
We don’t operate a charity; we operate a community. Our guests are neighbors. Our volunteers are neighbors. We are all Sussex County, sharing one harvest.
The underserved in our community deserve more than a meal; they deserve consistency, a familiar face, and a place they know will always be open. That is the promise of Harvest House.
