We are asking parishioners and friends to donate from the list below to our project which fills blessing bags for homeless people in Morris County. These are distributed by the Hope One van as they go on their monthly visits to enclaves, encampments, and under bridges to serve those in need. Collection bins will be available this weekend inside the doors to the church.
Collection Deadline: October 10
Items Needed:
Notre Dame Food Rescue Ministry thanks you for your generous support!
The Food Rescue & Local Outreach ministry has given joy and received joy during this pandemic, as we assist those with no job and no means of support. Now we have grown as a ministry and we need your support! Here are some opportunities to help:
Interfaith Food Pantry - Please drop your non-perishable food donations into my unlocked van, which is parked in the Progressive Garden driveway at 16 Ridgedale Ave. (NOTE: There is a logo on the side of the van reading Brightest Star). If the van is full, please leave the items on my porch. They especially need canned meats, canned fish, and canned beans.
Contact Beth Vecchio at singerdramagirl@hotmail.com or 973-829-1973.
Homeless Solutions, located at 540 West Hanover Ave, Morristown is in need of volunteers to help cook and serve meals to its 85 residents. Contact Christi Sauter at retuas6@aol.com or 973-476-5743.
This ministry began on the first day of lockdown for COVID-19 in March 2020. The original intent was to collect food for The Interfaith Food Pantry so that they could fulfill their mission to feed the newly hungry COVID-affected population. The lines were getting longer each day. Then, The Mental Health Association asked us for some of our non-perishables for their homeless, hungry clients. When we realized that they were eating out of cans, we prepared sandwiches from the donations by our parishioners. For several months we were the only donors to the Interfaith Food Pantry as all the houses of worship were closed.
Through the months, we began to deliver our rescued bread and bagels to Homeless Solutions in Morris County, Loaves and Fishes in Boonton, Neighborhood House in Morristown, The Hispanic congregation at the Baptist Church in Morristown, The Table of Hope of Bethel Church in Morristown for their weekly drive-through food distribution and Father English Food Pantry in Paterson. We were striving to have the right amount of recipients for the amount of bread/bagels we were rescuing.
Eventually, we began receiving from time to time other rescued food from Whole Foods, Wawa, 7-Eleven, Walmart, Nothing Bundt Cakes, and other donors. Throughout, we have accepted monetary donations from generous folks who just reached out to ask how they could help. Eight freezers were donated, including the one which replaced the old Notre Dame kitchen freezer as well as the one which is housed at Table of Hope, in order to keep the bread fresh there. Additionally, we have been able to augment our food resources and purchase a large wheeled bin for Notre Dame and another for Father English Pantry where there was a great need.
The drive-through clothing donations were not original aspects of the Food Rescue Ministry; these have been added as the need seemed to arise.
We have been able to provide an outlet for parishioners who have wished to serve during this pandemic. Several have remarked that they needed to "get out" and do something for others.
"Feeding the hungry and providing parishioners ways to do God's work are the two main goals of this ministry."