For those of you who have a high-speed connection and Microsoft PowerPoint... Here is an update on our ministry.
• Emergency Food &Clothing
Each income-qualified
household receives a supply of groceries. If we have more donations, they can receive more food. "Farmers Against Hunger" donates fresh fruit and vegetables every Tuesday. This help is available twice per
month, or when an emergency arises. Along with food, the families get a voucher to shop in our Thrift Store. It is good for one month and we try to get them to shop on Tuesdays and Thursdays as these are "Half
Price" days. During the year 2001, we served 11,401 individuals with 115,673 meals and $63,100.00 in clothing vouchers.
• New Jersey Shares Utility Program
This State funded program helps Low Income Households that make good faith payments keep their utilities on. This program supplied our ministry with over $60,000.00 in aid that went directly to low income
households. While this program is still available, the State has drastically reduced the funding. We pray that this changes in the future!
• Community Meals
The Center served 8,751 lunches in 2001. Every Monday through Saturday we provide a hot lunch to those in need. Recently, we added Breakfast as well. We have found that many of the area's homeless were coming in
when we opened and were hungry. So, we meet this need with coffee, fruit, donuts, and other breakfast items. The Lunch also serves as part of our Job Training Program. Our Community Lunch Manager was once
homeless and after coming in for help, she eventually volunteered and when we received our "Faith Based Job Training Grant", we hired her!
• Salvation Army Service Unit
The Christian Caring Center serves as a volunteer service unit of the Salvation Army. They allow us to dispense their funds, over $9,000.00 in 2001, to our needy clients. Each client can receive a voucher for
$100.00 once per year for such things as rent, utilities, etc. The Salvation Army also allows us to send 40 children every year to their Christian Camp for a week during the summer. For many of these
children, this is the only vacation they have ever had and how wonderful to be worshipping and learning about Jesus...as well as having a great time!
• Rural Homeless Outreach
In conjunction with our Community Lunch Program, we take lunch out to the woods every Wednesday and Friday. There is a large population of alcohol and drug addicted men, women and sometimes even teens that
congregate there. Some even live in the nearby wooded area. We take the food to them and also minister to them. We average about 15 lunches every time we go out. Yearly we lose an average of three of our woods
people to death, but sometimes we lose them to Rehab, PRAISE THE LORD! The Center believes that God has something better for them, so we share the Gospel every time we go out. Sometimes it turns into a real church meeting!
• Thrift Store
On the second floor of our building, we have a Thrift Store. This is open to the general public as well as our clients. We are blessed with many volunteers to help sort and sell items. Since we are located near
Fort Dix and McGuire AFB, there is a large community of military families here. Many of them are too proud to ask for help but they can purchase items in our Thrift Store and not feel like they are begging. Here is more info on our Thrift Store.
• Holiday Basket Program
The Center distributes food baskets at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. The Christmas baskets also include gifts. We also have a "Back to School" Basket which includes school supplies and a gift certificate for Payless Shoe Store. During these times, we give away an average of 500 baskets!
• Job Training
We train people to re-enter the job market in the areas of receptionist, retail cashier, food preparation, and warehouse people. Our trainees come from our programs and outreaches, as well as from other government programs like Green Thumb and 55 Plus.
• Jack Stelle Men's Emergency Shelter
Our shelter has three beds and one resident manager. We have the privilege of allowing the Lord to use us as He works Jeremiah 29:11 out in each man. Each man can stay up to six months, must attend at least three meetings per week (Bible study, church, etc.) and have a job or be at the Center six days per week.