Youth ministry provides meals and more for families in need
By Patricia Keller
WEST MILFORD ‑‑ ‘Tis the season of giving, and nine teens from the St. Joseph’s Church second year Youth Ministry group recently decided to give back to their community, while also fulfilling one of their confirmation service requirements.
The group collected donations from local food vendors for supplies and ingredients and gathered together at the Apshawa Firehouse to make 46 trays of lasagna, which will be distributed to West Milford families in need this holiday season through the Saint Joseph Cares Food Pantry on Germantown Road. The teens each also personally donated bags of grocery and toiletry items to the food pantry.
Don Farias, parent project coordinator, said: “Since we were able to get everything we needed to make the trays of lasagna donated, we asked the kids to bring in a bag of grocery and/or toiletry items to help stock the pantry. Local needy families rely on these items to survive and we hope this project has sparked something within the teens to be more compassionate to those around them and not take what they have for granted.”
The Youth Ministry group thanked the following businesses and organizations that helped make this event possible through their generous donations and services: Apshawa Firehouse, Pizza Station (Oak Ridge), The Jersey Tomato Co., Restaurant Depot, BJ’s, and Acme Markets.
The St. Joseph Church Youth Ministry for teens in high school provides opportunities for prayer and worship, retreats, ongoing faith formation, peer ministry, social activities and service to others. Preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation is made available after a teen has actively participated in Youth Ministry and is ready to renew a commitment to follow Jesus (usually during the second year).
The Saint Joseph Cares food pantry accepts donations year round and is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. It is located on the church grounds at 454 Germantown Road in West Milford, in the Father Koch Hall building behind the white garage to the right of the cemetery.
The food pantry is always seeking volunteers to help on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and volunteers can join in for once per month or even as little as once per year. This is a great way for families to do volunteer work together. The food pantry also needs volunteers to pick up food from local stores during the week, and volunteers with an SUV to assist in picking up food from the Community Food Bank of NJ on the second Saturday of each month.
Donations from food drives are always welcome from individuals, organizations, schools and Scouts.
Donations needed: flour, sugar, coffee, tea, cookies, snacks, juice, cereal, oatmeal, canned fruit, laundry detergent, baby diapers, peanut butter, jelly, toothpaste, rice, pasta sauce, shampoo, beans, vegetables, potatoes, and mayonnaise.
Freezers are available for frozen items. Fresh produce can be dropped off on Saturdays
For more information about the food pantry, volunteering, and/or a complete list of items needed, call Saint Joseph’s Church at 973-697-6100 or visit its website at http://www.stjoseph-nj.org/.