Church of Jesus Christ delivers 40,000 pounds of food to Catholic Charities to feed our neighbors in poverty
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined forces with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark to help feed struggling families.
The Church of Jesus Christ delivered 40,000 pounds of food to Catholic Charities in Newark on Thursday, March 9.
Nearly all of those in Bergen, Union, Hudson, and Union counties who seek services through Catholic Charities are at the poverty or below the poverty line said John Westervelt, Chief Executive Officer.
As followers of Jesus Christ, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a “covenant commitment to live the two great commandments: to love God and to love our neighbor. We follow Jesus Christ’s call to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, take in the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and afflicted,” according to its annual report.
Catholic Charities serves all, not just Catholics, and offers more than food and shelter. It also provides immigration, adult mental health, and daycare services and programs for the disabled. The food will be distributed to clients in need within homeless shelters and mental health programs, as well as among the food pantries.
“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a national partnership with Catholic Charities and we have collaborated together to do some great work with Catholic Charities all over the country,” said Chris George, Manager of Welfare and Self-Reliance Services, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Boston/New Jersey/New York/Manchester. “Here in the northeast, we have collaborated previously with Catholic Charities in Boston and New York City.”
The truck carrying the food pulled up to Catholic Charities at 321 Central Ave, Newark, NJ from Salt Lake City, Utah at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 9, as representatives and missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Catholic Charities stood by.
“The delivery was great – tons of items were included: beef stew, tons of canned vegetables, soups, fruit, pasta and sauce, rice, beans, pancake mix, peanut butter, and even laundry detergent,” Westervelt said.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates 32 farms, ranches, orchards, and processing facilities to support members in need and to donate through community initiatives. In 2021, the Church produced over 100 million pounds of food, said Brian Chase, Director of Communication, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Jersey.
In recent years, under the leadership of Juan Almeida, president of the Liberty Park Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the organization has been looking for new ways to support organizations that are caring for those in need in Newark.
“One of those ways is to provide food to food pantries and other charities,” Chase said.
Almost 1,000 people depend on the Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Newark throughout Union, Essex, Hudson, and Bergen counties for food each week.
Food packages will be prepared and distributed amongst the organization’s eight emergency and transitional shelters which serve homeless individuals and families, and its six residential programs which serve severely and persistency mentally ill clients Packages will also be distributed to the 75 pantries within the emergency food and nutrition network which assist individuals and families in crisis throughout the Archdiocese of Newark, Westervelt said.
He said The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints food donation will go a long way in helping those who depend on Catholic Charities to help supplement groceries and meals.
“This alignment with another Christian Church feels right,” Westervelt said. “I am happy we have this opportunity to work together, helping those in need. …Our core values and the foundation of each of our programs and services highlight the dignity of the person, the respect for fundamental rights and duties of those served, the strengthening of societal relationships, and the need to prioritize the poor and vulnerable.”
The demand for emergency assistance and shelter is still significant. Many people are still suffering repercussions of the pandemic, Westervelt said, such as those who are evicted due to job loss. And recent changes in entitlement eligibility and the challenges of inflation, have created more need.
“As more and more households are stretching their resources to the breaking point, local food pantries are being called on to provide ever-increasing assistance, Westervelt said. “However, supplies of emergency food are limited, and many food pantries have had to limit their hours due to lack of volunteers, donations, or both.”
Last year, Catholic Charities Emergency Food and Nutrition Network distributed 220,418 pounds of food to 36,738 households. Most of the traditional clients assisted by the food pantries are families on public assistance, the working poor, immigrants, day laborers, the elderly on fixed incomes, shut-ins, and families living on the edge of economic crisis when faced with a period of unemployment, medical emergency or rent increase, Westervelt said.
During his 2015 visit to the U.S., Pope Francis addressed congress then instead of going to lunch with the politicians, he headed to a soup kitchen run by Catholic Charities in Washington, D.C.
Catholic Charities help the Catholic Church live the Gospel by being a “church of tenderness and closeness where the poor are blessed, where mission is at the center and where joy is born of service,” Pope Francis said in 2021.
“It is wonderful during these days when are hearts are open to helping those most in need that we can partner across religious lines to follow Jesus’ call to help the poorest in our communities,” said Father Timothy Graff, Archdiocese of Newark Secretary Parish Mission and Vitality, and Director Social Concerns Office.
It’s not the first time the Church of Jesus Christ has donated to a Catholic organization within the archdiocese. For the past seven years, they have donated food to St. John’s Soup Kitchen in Newark where breakfast and dinner are served to displaced people Tuesday through Saturday.
“Our hope is that the relationship with the Archdiocese of Newark will continue to grow and strengthen,” Almeida said. “We will continue to connect with each other about opportunities to serve in the Newark community.”
Featured image: Shown from left to right are: Chris George, Manager, Welfare and Self-Reliance Services, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Boston/New Jersey/New York/Manchester; Elder Art Collazo and Sister Roni Collazo, Missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; John Westervelt, Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark; and Juan Almeida, President of the Liberty Park Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
