St. Elizabeth's serves dinner the third Monday of each month at St. Paul's Men's Shelter, Paterson. Please sign up to help!

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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:

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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)

 

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.

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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).

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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.

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.