St. Andrew's Harrington Park NJ

Outreach

What most clearly distinguishes St. Andrew’s is our long-standing commitment to outreach. This ministry is directed primarily to those who are homeless and hungry, and our activities involve virtually everyone in our parish in one way or another. Our outreach programs help St. Andrew’s maintain a visible presence in our community, and demonstrate our deep commitment to helping those less fortunate than ourselves.

Overflow Shelter Program

Bergen County is one of the most affluent areas in the country, but it has more than 5,000 homeless people. While there is a county shelter in Hackensack, located about ten miles from Harrington Park, until recently that facility could not provide enough beds for those adults who needed shelter each night. In 1988, St. Andrew’s became one of the first churches to join the Interreligious Fellowship for the Homeless of Bergen County ("IRF") and to participate in its Overflow Shelter Program. We provided overnight shelter on Saturday nights for six months each year for up to ten homeless adults. We provided our guests a home-cooked dinner when they arrived Saturday evening, breakfast the next morning, and lunch for them to take when they left. From its inception until this program ended in 2009, over 4,000 guests stayed in our parish hall.

A new facility now accommodates homeless adults in Hackensack, but the problem of homelessness in our area has not been solved. In fact, the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population is families with small children, and this is a segment that has not been addressed with the new shelter in Hackensack. As a result, the IRF has changed its focus (and has changed its name to Family Promise of Bergen County) and will work with congregations to provide shelter for families each night of the year.

St. Andrew's is one of the first congregations to volunteer to be a Family Promise sponsoring congregation. Beginning in 2010, we will use our parish hall and facilities to provide meals and shelter to up to four families, with up to 14 parents and children. St. Andrew's will host our guests for three one-week segments a year. Many of the members of St. Andrew's are involved with our sheltering programs, and we have engaged many volunteers for other nearby churches and communities in this important ministry.

Annual Harrington Park Food Drive

For each of the past 16 years, we have conducted an annual community-wide food drive. Adult and youth members of St. Andrew’s, as well as other volunteers, deliver an empty grocery bag to each of the nearly 1,600 homes in Harrington Park, asking that they be filled with groceries and returned to the church. Each year we collect about 300 bags of groceries (more than two tons of food). Since we began, we have collected food worth over $75,000, which we have distributed to nearby food pantries.

Walk-In Dinner Program

Twice each year our parish prepares dinner for 100 people, takes it to a crisis center in Hackensack, and then serves it as part of a program to feed those who would otherwise go hungry. The preparation and serving of the food is accomplished by the active participation of many of our parishioners.

Weekly Food Basket Collection

Each Sunday our younger children pass a basket during the Offertory to collect canned goods and other non-perishables. These are then distributed to local food pantries.

Annual CROP Walk

Our parishioners participate each fall in this walk to raise funds to combat hunger. St. Andrew’s usually ranks in the top three participating congregations in our area in terms of money raised and participants who walk. We also host a refreshment station for those who are participating in the CROP Walk.

Other Outreach

In addition to the love and labor we invest in outreach, St. Andrew’s gives direct financial support to our Diocese and other organizations.