Baby bottle drives, baby showers held for Mercy House during Respect Life Month
Car seats, cribs, diapers, baby wipes, baby clothes, and food are always available to pregnant women and mothers at The Mercy Houses in Newark and Jersey City.
And because nourishing the soul is just as important as nourishing the body, director Cheryl Riley always has a stash of Christening gowns hanging on the back of her office door for the new mothers to choose from. She sets up christenings with a reception for the young families in the upstairs chapel with the Mercy House chaplain.
Opened in June 2018 in Newark, the hope is that The Mercy House serves as support for women so that they do not seek another option — ending the life of their unborn child. Today, The Mercy House has expanded to provide more than baby supplies and food. It now offers parents help in finding housing and work to provide for their children and help in preparing children for school so they can get an education.
The Mercy House has become so well known for its charity to pregnant women that patients from Mercy Hospital in Newark are often referred to The Mercy House in Newark for car seats — a must in order to leave the hospital. The resource center also provides Mercy patients in need items such as diapers, baby toiletries, clothing, and equipment such as cribs and strollers following their births, Erica Williams Program Support Specialist Mercy Hospital, said.
“We often refer moms to who don’t have any other resources,” Williams said.
So, many Catholic organizations are celebrating Respect Life Month this October by supporting the mission of The Mercy Houses in Newark and Jersey City. Some are coordinating baby bottle collection drives, while others are hosting baby showers and baby necessities collections.
At Seton Hall University, Father Nicholas C. Sertich, STL, Director of Campus Ministry, handed out baby bottles to the students who attended the Oct. 1 Mass. The students will use the bottles to collect and donate money at the end of the month to The Mercy House as part of their Pro-Life Month Activities.
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Annette Miller, associate director of the Respect Life Ministry of the Archdiocese attended the Mass to speak about pro-life efforts within the archdiocese and how The Mercy House supports women and children.
“We like to incorporate outreach into our Masses,” Father Sertich said.
The university has held other fundraisers for Respect Life Month such as diaper drives, but Father Sertich sees the potential for students to do more community service all year long once they hear about the good that The Mercy House does.
“Many of our students commute from Jersey City and Elizabeth [where a new Mercy House is opening at the end of October]. We are part of the Archdiocese of Newark, not just a school,” he said. “Some of the students may also want to give back to their communities and donate their time to Mercy House.”
Another church giving back during Respect Life Month is St. Genevieve’s Church in Elizabeth. For 28 years, Mary Ann Trotter, her husband, and a group of volunteers have held “baby showers” where parishioners donate baby gifts at the Respect Life Sunday Masses. The donations are split between Gateway House and The Mercy House. This year, parishioners donated two SUVs full of goods and almost $1,000 in monetary donations on Oct. 1.
Church of the Little Flower in Berkeley Heights will be collecting baby lotions, shampoo, stuffed animals, baby blankets, and towels throughout the month of October.
At The Mercy House, rather than handing a prepacked generic box to the clients when they come in, they “shop” for items they need such as non-perishable food, home goods, adult clothing, baby clothing, diapers, wipes, car seats, and other baby equipment, Miller said.
The Mercy House also hosts seasonal, bigger giveaways to support families. In late fall, they give winter coats, hats, gloves, and scarves to children and adults. Before Thanksgiving, it expects to give out about 300 turkeys along with all the sides after handing out 200 last year. In December, Mercy Houses holds its annual toy giveaway with over a thousand toys going to parents so their children have gifts to open on Christmas morning, Miller said.
Respect Life Month was first celebrated in 1972, when the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops started a Respect Life program in October in anticipation of the Roe vs. Wade decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in January 1973. The U.S. Supreme Court’s term also begins on the first Monday of October.
As Catholics, we are called to cherish, defend, and protect those who are most vulnerable, from conception to life’s natural end.
The Mercy House of Newark is open Tuesdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mercy House in Jersey City is open Monday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Those interested in donating or volunteering should contact Annette Miller at Annette.Miller@rcan.org. To learn more about The Mercy Houses of Newark and Jersey City, visit the website at rcan.org/mercy-house.
Featured image: The Mercy House director Cheryl Riley speaks with a mother who receives support from the center.
