St. Paul's Outreach
St. Elizabeth's serves dinner the third Monday of each month at St. Paul's Men's Shelter, Paterson. Please sign up to help!
St. Paul's Community Development Corporation
St. Paul’s Community Development Center (“SPCDC”) serves needy people in Paterson and across Passaic County. The core programs that serve the needs of the client population are as follows:
Food Pantry – The Food Pantry provides supplemental assistance to individuals and families who are unable to purchase their nutritional requirements. The Food Pantry currently serves as the largest distributor of donated food in Passaic County.
Emergency Men’s Shelter – The Shelter provides emergency housing, clothing and food for up to 40 men each night. The shelter works with clients to determine the root causes of their homelessness and to provide the necessary support and counseling to overcome this condition and obtain gainful employment and a more permanent housing arrangement.
Housing and Neighborhood Development – This program’s mission is to rebuild the 5th Ward neighborhood and continues to develop affordable housing for the citizens of Paterson. An important project completed over the past year is the successful renovation of a 5 bedroom house (SRO) for women next to St. Paul’s Church.
Partnership for Healthy Living – This program reaches out to individuals infected with HIV/AIDS and provides case management, harm reduction outreach services, and referrals to the appropriate social, medical, and community resources.
Next Step Adult Education – The goal of Next Step is to help students become self-sufficient and break the cycle of unemployment and/or underemployment. The program provides classes in basic skills, English as a second language, General Education Development (GED) preparation, and computer literacy skills.
AmeriCorps – St. Paul’s AmeriCorps members support the SPCDC programs serving as tutors, mentors, food pantry workers, shelter aides, case management aides, and general operations support.
o Point-in Time Homeless Count
o Events honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
o Helping to clean up the streets in Paterson’s Fifth Ward in Operation Clean Sweep
o Worked with Habitat for Humanity
o Spearheaded the agency’s annual Thanksgiving Turkey Distribution
o Christmas Adopt-a-Family Event (150 families provided with toys, clothing, and gift certificates)
Over 300 volunteers serve annually. Volunteer activities range from working in the Food Pantry, preparing and serving meals, and providing tutoring to a variety of clients. Many parishioners at St. Elizabeth’s volunteer to prepare and serve monthly dinners for the men’s shelter, tutor children in the after-school program, and donate clothing
Meal Preparation Opportunities at St. Paul’s Shelter
Third Monday of Each Month at 5:30 p.m.
Volunteers Needed to Prep, Serve Dinner at St. Paul's Shelter
St. Elizabeth’s has been an active supporter of this mission for many years and provides a dinner meal for up to 40 men on the third Monday of each month. This is an excellent opportunity to provide assistance to a worthy and appreciative group of men who are trying to rebuild their lives. This is an excellent activity to do with friends, family, or organizations such as school clubs, youth groups, or work places. The sign-up sheet is located on the Outreach bulletin board located across the hall from the Church Office.
It's easy: Prepare a meal (or pick up a catered meal), head to St. Paul's to serve the food, and return home in approximately an hour. The shelter residents do the clean up, and reimbursement for food is available.
Shelter Schedule
The sign-up sheet is located on the Outreach bulletin board in the hallway near the Church Office. For additional information, please contact Outreach Committee chairperson Denise Vollkommer through the Church Office (201-444-2299 or info@stesridgewood.org).
A manual is available to guide participants in the process and also suggested recipes;
Participants may prepare the meal in the St. Elizabeth’s kitchen and then drive it to St. Paul’s; alternatively, a catered meal can be picked up and served.
The meal is served to the men buffet style;
St. Paul’s performs the clean-up of dishes, glasses, counters, and tables;
The experience is generally very positive; the staff at St. Paul’s is very helpful and those being served are generally polite and grateful.
For more information and instructions on preparing meals for the shelter, please click here.
To learn more about St. Paul's Emergency Men's Shelter, click here.
One of the more rewarding projects we undertake at St. Elizabeth’s is to prepare and serve dinners at the men’s shelter at St. Paul’s in Paterson on the third Monday of every month.
Some recipes: