HELPING HANDS MINISTRY                  

  Linda L. Reichert, Ministry Chairperson  
(201) 291-1621
  Helping Hands Ministry Office
(201) 843 8812

  Background

Helping Hands is a Ministry in which Jesus Christ is the center of all that we do. For 8 years, countless volunteers from the Church of the Sacred Heart Church in Rochelle Park, NJ and beyond, undertake daily outreach missions to serve individuals and families in need.    Here are some of the endeavors that are undertaken in His Name:

      Activities   Description

Food Rescue Mission
The gathering of perishable foods (day and night) before they are unnecessarily disposed of.
("...Gather the fragments left over so that nothing will be wasted." John 6:12)

Service in the Kitchen of the Lord
Volunteers sort and prepare foods gathered through the Food Rescue Mission. These foods are then offered to pantry recipents on Saturdays.
("By Love serve one another." …Galatians 5:13) 

Pantry
Parishioners of Sacred Heart, other local parishes and service organizations donate non-perishable foods regularly to help fill the pantry shelves.

Helping Hands serves needy individuals and families every Saturday.
Our recipients receive both non-perishable foods through the Pantry, and perishable foods through The Kitchen of the Lord on Saturday mornings from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM.

The parish bulletin lists the most needed items for the pantry each week. 

("…as often as you did it for the least of my brothers you have done it for me." Matthew 25:40

 
        Kitchen of the Lord
      Activities   Description

Soup Kitchen Service Teams
Twice monthly teams of volunteers prepare and serve a complete meal for 65-100 individuals through a local walk-in shelter program.
("I was a stranger and you welcomed me." Matthew 25:35)
 

Craft Projects
Volunteers create year 'round:
  1. Lap Robes: for the aged as Christmas gifts.
  2. Comfort Pillows: for children undergoing chemotherapy at Hackensack University Medical Center and Valley Hospitals;
  3. Infant Gowns: for stillborn babies born at Hackensack University Medical Center  and at St. Mary's Hospital in Paterson, NJ.

 

Harvest for the Hungry
A Vegetable garden is created on the grounds of the Sacred Heart Church by volunteers.   Satellite gardens at parishioners' homes add to the plentiful bounty, all of which is donated to the Kitchen of the Lord at Sacred Heart.

Walk for "Change"
Annually, during June through September, walkers collect "lost" change that they find during their travels. The collection is donated to an assisted living facility so they may purchase supplies for their in house craft projects. We've collected in:
  • 1997 - $55.00
  • 1998 - $261.50
  • 1999 - $275.50
  • 2000 - $311.50
  • 2001 - $242.47
  • 2002 - $253.36
  • 2003 - $183.50

 

Information Referral Center

Provides referral assistance to recipients of Helping Hands Ministry; volunteer-guided assistance provides recipients with contact information in areas such as medical, legal, housing, social services assistance, etc.

Children Sponsorship
Via Two Catholic Organizations:
World Vision:
      Reynoldo Ariel Miranda Silva, Nicaragua
Christian Foundation for Children and Aging
      Rosvely Jeaneth CoyCac from Guatamala
 

         If you would like more information on how you can volunteer, how and when you can donate perishable
        or non-perishable foods, or other ways in which you can support this Ministry's endeavors, please contact us.
        We look forward to hearing from you.

         Return to Home Page