BRIDGEWATER – The Gladstone Tavern is giving back to the community this holiday season by partnering with the Somerset County United Way and Community Hope to provide Thanksgiving dinner for forty residents of the Lyons Veterans Administration Medical Center.

A familiar stop for well over 100 years in the quaint rural town of Peapack-Gladstone in Somerset County, Gladstone Tavern Chef/Owner Tom Carlin and his family members will trade in a day at home together to serve Thanksgiving dinners to residents of the Community Hope’s “Hope for Veterans” Program who won’t be with family on November 23rd.

“As a family, we are so grateful for having the opportunity to provide a delicious gourmet meal for those less fortunate,” said Chef Carlin. “The entire Gladstone Tavern family members are looking forward to coming together to ensure these 40 veterans have a dining experience they’ll remember for a lifetime. We’re going to be their family this holiday season!”

Chef Carlin has over 25 years experience in the restaurant business and has worked alongside noted chefs such as Tom Colicchio, Alfred Portale, Jonathan Waxman and Barry Wine. His featured Thanksgiving menu for the veterans dinner will be butternut squash bisque or chicken rice soup, followed by roasted turkey breast with country gravy, Edwards smoked country ham and Cedar planked salmon with maple-pepper glaze. Side dishes will include green beans with buttered almonds, toasted brussel sprouts, fried sweet potatoes, chive mashed potatoes, cauliflower au gratin, chestnut stuffing, corn muffins and cranberry relish. The dinner will be rounded off with choices of apple, pecan, and pumpkin pies, pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing, assorted homemade cookies, coffee, tea and fresh apple cider.

With an estimated 8,000 homeless veterans in New Jersey, the nonprofit organization Community Hope opened the Hope for Veterans Transitional Housing Program at the Basking Ridge based Veterans Administration Hospital in 2004. The 75-bed facility is the largest and most comprehensive program in New Jersey for homeless veterans, offering job coaching; computer training and other support services to help veterans break the cycle of homelessness and despair. Community Hope is currently expanding the award-winning program to house an additional 20 veterans.

“Community Hope has been helping individuals recover from mental illness and substance abuse in specialized residential programs since 1985,” said Executive Director J. Michael Armstrong. “The development of the Hope for Veterans Program enabled our organization to provide expertise in residential recovery services to veterans homeless as a result of their struggle with mental illness and substance abuse.”

This community partnership was made possible through the work of the Somerset County United Way, which brings together volunteers from corporations, local businesses and the general public to help make a better quality of life for those in need. The Bridgewater based organization has 57 affiliated agencies and provides funding for nearly 100 different health and human services programs throughout Somerset County and beyond.

“I had the opportunity to enjoy a meal at the Gladstone Tavern a few months back and was introduced to a special group of community minded individuals,” said United Way CEO John Graf, Jr. “After introducing myself, it wasn’t long before they were opening their home and their hearts to make a difference in the community. They truly care about giving back!”

Located on the corner of 273 Main Street and Pottersville Road in Gladstone, the critically acclaimed restaurant seats 212 people in several dining environments. The main dining room features a stone fireplace, as well as a new bar and lounge, while seasonal outdoor dining is available under a covered terrace with an outdoor fireplace and bar overlooking the chef’s herb garden. Upstairs a spacious private dining room with vaulted ceilings and a cocktail porch is available for social and corporate functions. For additional information about the Gladstone Tavern and their dining opportunities, contact Cynthia Duchantier at (908) 234-9055 or e-mail her at cynthia@gladstonetavern.com.

For additional information on the Somerset County United Way, call (908) 725-6640 or log onto their website at www.scuw.org. The Community Hope organization can be contacted by calling (973) 463-9600 or through their website at www.communityhope-nj.org

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