Boy launches food drive to feed and clothe underprivileged
As food and gas prices continue rising, the daily needs of underprivileged families are also increasing. When 8-year-old Dante Olshefski asked Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark to help him distribute food and other necessities, everyone pitched in.
With help from his Denville, N.J. community, Olshefski spearheaded a food drive to benefit Mercy House, a family-oriented resource and referral center in the heart of Newark. Mercy House is at the forefront of helping those in need, focusing on assisting pregnant and parenting women who need a safe, supportive, and faith-filled environment.
Olshefski collected pasta, pasta sauce, cereal, canned vegetables, toiletries, and car seats. The campaign helped feed approximately 200 families.
“It was great to see that Dante and his family were able to build upon and expand his initial food drive last year,” says Annette Agnish, coordinator at Mercy House for the Respect Life Office of the Archdiocese of Newark. “Based on my conversation with Dante’s mom, even more neighbors and students at his school in Denville participated in this year’s event.”
The idea for the food drive came to Olshefski during the pandemic when he told his mother he wanted to help children suffering from food insecurity. Mercy House was chosen to seek the most extensive possible network to help the poor due to its connection to family members employed by the Archdiocese of Newark.
Dante’s grandfather, Joseph Verzi, assistant executive director of Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese, reached out to Mercy House. They established the need for reusable bags, and the drive was set into action.
“Producing the bags used to distribute the food was easy, ” says Verzi. “Dante’s passion for helping other children suffering inspired the community-at-large and created a movement of generosity that will change lives for the better and for years to come. That’s what our faith is all about.”
Denville residents dropped off food and toiletries at an outdoor bin. Olshefski’s family packed the items in reusable bags donated by Catholic Cemeteries and delivered them to Mercy House. The food bags were distributed to individuals at the Mercy House entrance to adhere to safety guidelines and minimize exposure to COVID-19.
Mercy House provides 100 bags of clothing and household items to families in need twice a week. Due to the pandemic and the state of the economy, the number of recipients is increasing.
“We’re trying to outreach to our parishes and schools to get the items we need,” explains Cheryl A. Riley, director of Mercy House. “The Catholic Cemeteries department has been great in helping us get the stuff we need to help these people sustain their everyday lives.”
Many recipients are expectant mothers with basic needs such as food, clothing, strollers, and car seats to help transport their newborn babies from the hospital.
Mercy House has assisted hundreds of individuals and families in Essex County through their Newark location. The Archdiocese plans to expand its services in Bergen County with the future opening of a new welcoming Mercy House facility in Hackensack, N.J. The long-term goal is to open and operate a Mercy House in every county in the Archdiocese of Newark to help more underprivileged throughout the area.
Additional fundraising
Realizing the ongoing need, on March 7, Catholic Cemeteries donated $1,000 each to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark, Mercy House, and the Missionary Sisters of Charity.
The donations were made possible by visiting Catholic families with heritage at several cemeteries, including Holy Cross in North Arlington, St. Gertrude in Colonia, Gate of Heaven in East Hanover, Maryrest in Mahwah, Holy Name in Jersey City, and Christ the King in Franklin Lakes. Family members dropped off donations at the cemeteries while visiting loved ones or made the donations online at www.rcancem.org/donate.
“Our gratitude extends to the families who took time out of their busy schedules to help the most vulnerable among us in remembrance of their loved ones,” says Andrew P. Schafer, executive director of Catholic Cemeteries. “We are always humbled by their level of generosity, especially during these difficult times.”
The funds will help Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark, which runs two of the largest homeless shelter systems in New Jersey, provide food, shelter, and other services for men, women, and children.
While the COVID-19 pandemic made a significant impact globally and locally, the challenges created were more detrimental in low-income communities and created unforeseen challenges. Although the pandemic is transitioning into an endemic status in most areas, the new challenge is the inflationary economy, negatively affecting donations.
“People are incurring more expenses, so they can’t give as many donations to Catholic Charities,” explains John Westervelt, the chief executive officer of Catholic Charities. “On any given day, we probably help close to 60 families. “We also have men-and women-only shelters that have approximately 300 beds. And we just started running the shelter for the City of Newark, which has 145 beds. About 1,000 people are on the streets of Newark.”
To learn more about each ministry, click the links below:
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Newark www.ccannj.com
Mercy House www.rcan.org/respect-life/mercy-house
Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark www.rcancem.org.
Featured image: With help from his Denville, N.J. community, Dante Olshefski spearheaded a food drive to benefit Mercy House, a family-oriented resource and referral center in the heart of Newark. (Courtesy of Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Newark)
