Trenton residents come together for a community barbecue powered by Dodge Foundation

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WHYY partnered with the Trenton Community Street Team to host a public safety barbecue and civic news cookout in North Trenton, New Jersey, on Sunday featuring a locally owned barbecue restaurant.

The event drew roughly 175 attendees to Roberto Clemente Park despite the summer sun and heat. Trees and a pool on the property offered the coolest spots to beat the heat. More than 400 beverages were consumed on top of the hamburgers, macaroni and cheese, collard greens and ribs, which were just a few of the items on the menu. The event was made possible due to the generous support of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation.

Other Trenton-based organizations such as Isles, Mercer County Community College and Capital Health’s VICTORY program, which focuses on violence intervention, were in attendance as well as Mayor Reed Gusciora.

“This is a great homespun event that I think especially the neighborhood really appreciates,” Gusciora said.

The event was hosted as part of WHYY News’ efforts to deepen community connections in South Jersey and Trenton, one of the cities within the newsroom’s coverage range. David Matthau, WHYY’s New Jersey statehouse reporter, and other WHYY employees talked to community members and asked what they wanted to see reported about Trenton and how the newsroom can better reflect the city.

“It’s important that news organizations embed in the community rather than helicopter in,” said Perry Shaw III, the director of the Trenton Community Street Team. “Being able to be here, you can see people where they are and see people as humans.”

Shaw oversees the team, which, as he describes it, “focuses on interrupting the cycle of violence.” They do this by addressing the root causes of violence such as housing and mental health inequalities.

The barbecue food was made and served by 1911 Smokehouse BBQ, a local restaurant. Attendees enjoyedd a menu with ribs, brisket, hamburgers, mac and cheese and collard greens.

The free food was a great addition, Trenton resident Keshawn Johnson said. He noted that giving out free food was nice because some people might not have been able to afford lunch or a meal.

Johnson said the food added to the chill atmosphere, something he appreciated.

“With everything that’s going on in the world, you need something that’s going to bring a more positive type of influence to the environment,” Johnson said.

Yazminelly Gonzalez, president of Trenton’s City Council, said it was great to see the partnerships the city has, and it was great that WHYY was visible in the community.

“I see the radio station here, and I said, ‘Okay, this is good,’” Nate Jefferson said. The 65-year-old had lived in Trenton for years, recently moving back after his home in North Carolina was unfortunately damaged during Hurricane Helene.

WHYY News has held 10 civic news events in South Jersey this year to date, including pop-newsrooms, media literacy educational sessions and the public safety barbecue. WHYY News leadership said community engagement activities will continue as WHYY News seeks to deepen its community building in the Garden State.

This barbecue was created by WHYY News to provide a community-building opportunity for organizations that provide public safety and gun violence prevention initiatives in area neighborhoods. The previous two civic news cookouts took place in Philadelphia.

“For WHYY to really take a chance and really take an approach like this is important,” Shaw said.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story misstated that the Trenton Community Street Team is part of the Trenton Police Department.