Our Faith Formation Director recently took her daughter and niece to serve at the Paterson Mobile Pantry. This was an opportunity she had come across as she researched community service options for our Confirmation Candidates. Read below about their experience...

"I mentioned in my previous email that I would let everyone know about our volunteering with the Paterson mobile pantry that we signed up for viaJerseyCares.org so here’s the scoop:

The mobile pantry consisted of a large truck provided and stocked with frozen meats, canned foods, fresh produce, eggs and bread by the Community Food Bank of New Jersey (CFBNJ, largest food bank in NJ). We served approx. 30 to 40 families of pregnant women who are registered thru St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson. The CFBNJ provides food for these families once a week at the same location: Father English Community Center (a Diocese of Paterson, Catholic Charities establishment) parking lot, Main St., Paterson. Registered families are allowed to come once a month and fill bags with nutritional food that should last them for the month.

So what did we do exactly? We (me, my 15 y.o. daughter, Cammi and my 16 y.o. niece, Taylor) arrived at the Fr. English parking lot at 10:30am and met with the CFBNJ representative and a couple of other volunteers. Everyone was professional and friendly. Once the truck arrived we set up canopies and tables for the food distribution and bagged fresh produce for easier distribution (the drivers unloaded the truck..and not the volunteers...whew!=). By 12pm we were ready to serve the families who were already waiting outside of the gated parking lot. Everyone we served was good-natured and thankful. We finished serving the last family around 2pm and then began the breakdown of the canopies and tables and consolidated the leftover food which was given to the Fr. English Center’s Food Pantry. We were on our way home by 3pm.

Overall we ALL had a valuable experience! My niece hugged me and thanked me for bringing her along. She said, “Helping the less fortunate and putting a smile on their faces as I filled their bags with food made my heart feel full!” My daughter said, “This beats sitting home and watching Netflix!”

We all definitely gained some real life insights interacting with those who are underprivileged which we can only hope will lead to breaking down economic, ethnic, and cultural barriers that are so prevalent today. In short, we all agreed to go volunteer again before school starts!

As a side note, following thru with this service trip was not easy. There were many unknowns and concerns which required much thought, vigilance and prayer (and as a responsible parent that’s a given). In the end it required us to step out of our comfort zones and take a leap of faith, and in doing so the rewards and blessings God had in store for us were more than we expected!"