We encourage you to express your faith in ways that are personally meaningful.
BRIDGES at the Shore Uniting Communities–Creating Friendships
Every 3rd Friday at 6pm with sortings the Thursday before at 6pm
This program builds bridges between people and communities locally and in NYC. It began as a program of people in the suburbs going to meet with and help homeless folk in lower Manhattan, getting to know them and offering them assistance with blankets, clothing, food, toiletries and more. It is a person-to-person effort, meeting the homeless face to face, and offering friendship as well as help. In Monmouth County it was begun by Mike Ferraro, who ran the program for 15 years, and now it is coordinated by Kathy Logan, who was with the program from the start. Under Kathy’s leadership, the program has now become local, serving low-income folk in the communities of Keansburg, Red Bank, and Freehold.
Every 3rd Friday at 6pm a caravan of vans and station-wagons drives to locations in these towns and hands out donated clothing, blankets, toiletries, bag-suppers, and more. In a simple way, this builds bridges by allowing people to meet each other across ethnic, economic and geographic lines, allowing for mutual understanding and caring. These visits become a celebration of generosity, kindness and mutual esteem. At each location, these volunteers spend time to talk with the people, and get to know them personally, without judgment or coercion. It is truly a person to person effort.
On the Thursday before each trip at 6pm, we sort clothing that was donated during the previous month. Donations of casual clothing (appropriate for the season), jackets, and blankets (or, even better, sleeping bags) can be dropped off in the shed on the side of the church parking lot.
Contact: Kathy Logan through the church office: 732-946-8821 or e-mail her at bridgesattheshore@hotmail.com
CALICO CAT FOOD PANTRY AND CUPBOARD
96 Kings Highway
Middletown, New Jersey
The Community Outreach Group Inc., is an ecumenical effort of 10 local churches which sponsors the:
Calico Cat Food Pantry/Cupboard
Provides over 4000 clients yearly with food, cleaning supplies, personal care items, baby formula, diapers, clothing, small household items, baby equipment, and resource counseling.
Hours of operation: Wednesdays by referral & the 4th Tuesday evening of the month for working low income clients
Phone: 732-671-0550 or 732-671-8775.
Emergency Assistance Fund
Provides financial assistance to people in financial crisis. Main focus is preventing homelessness by helping with rent and mortgage payment, although assistance is also provided for medication, utilities, car repair and other extreme needs.
Call 732-671-8775 for appointments.
Calico Cat Thrift Shop
This all-volunteer program operates the Calico Cat Thrift Shop. All proceeds are used to support the Emergency Assistance Fund, the Calico Cat Pantry & Cupboard and other non profit organizations within our local community who are helping people in need. Hours of operation: Mon – Thurs: 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM and Fri – Sat:
9:30 AM to 12 noon.
Phone: 732-671-0550.
Contact: Janice Liebenow 732-946-8525 Calico1015@aol.com
OTHER MISSION WORK/PROJECTS
Turkey Dinner
Each March on a Saturday, we hold a large Turkey Dinner to raise funds for a local mission project such as Project Paul, Habitat for Humanity, Lunchbreak, the Parker Clinic, Interfaith Neighbors, Community Outreach Group and St. Mark’s Soup Kitchen. Over 400 people are served at four family style all-you-can-eat seatings. We even have take-out!
Contact: Case Wagenvoord 732-291-0514
Bike-A-Thon
Each fall, we sponsor a community-wide Bike-a-thon through the scenic town of Colts Neck to raise money for charity. Not an experienced rider? No problem: we offer an alternative course on a bike trail within the local park for the not-so-experienced rider and a short route for children. Lunch is provided afterwards for all riders.
Contact: Don Pope 732-294-9330
Sabang Church of Christ Disciples
We partner with the Sabang Church of Christ Disciples, our sister church in the Philippines, in their mission outreach projects to impoverished families, both in their community and in rural regions of their country. We raise money for these projects through our Reiki ministry, the sale of Advent cards, and other fundraisers.
We are currently helping Sabang with three projects.
Through the Supplemental Feeding Project we are helping to return to health 30 children suffering from malnutrition.
Through the Carabao Project, we have provided funds for two indigenous tribes each to buy a carabao (a type of domesticated water buffalo), used to help with plowing and other farming tasks.
Through the Books for the Disciples Learning Academy Project, we collect and ship children’s books to Sabang’s elementary school, which is open to all children in the community, regardless of their religion.
Contact: Debbie Shields 732-747-7180
Equal Exchange Project
The church purchases all of the coffee and tea served at church events though the Equal Exchange Project. Through the project, farmers in developing countries gain more control over their lives, earn a fairer share of income, have access to credit and technical support, and gain a trading partner they can trust, a fair trade organization called Equal Exchange.
In addition to learning how to advocate for more just global economic policies for coffee producers, small farmers, and workers throughout the world, we are helping the environment since this coffee is shade grown under the canopy of the rain forests which also provides housing for many of the animal species that share the earth with us.
We promote buying fair share products to the congregation and have a supply of “fair-trade” coffee, tea. chocolate bars and hot chocolate mix for purchase during Coffee Hour.
Contact: Marilyn Sneed 732-203-9059
Crop Walk
Every October we participate in the Red Bank Area CROP Walk to raise funds for humanitarian projects sponsored by Church World Services. Our members help by raising pledges, walking, assisting in the running of the event, and donating food. For more information about the walk, click here. For information about Church World Services, click here.
Habitat for Humanity
Through the Habitat for Humanity of Monmouth County, our church has assisted in the building of homes for low-income families. We have helped build houses in the Red Bank and Keansburg areas by providing financial support as well building crews and lunches for the workers.
Blood Drive
Once a year we run a blood drive with the Central Jersey Blood Center or the Red Cross, usually the first week in January.
Facility Usage
Our church assists programs in the community by letting them use our buildings. We have opened our doors to
various groups, who use our facilities for free, including AA, the National Association for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), girl scouts, and Newcomers and Neighbors.
Sylvia’s Children
Support for the Mbirrizi Primary School & Orphanage in Uganda - Our church helps Sylvia Allen and her project in Uganda.
Other
Periodically we raise funds for other organizations, such as the Heifer Project International, Grace UCC – a new-church-start in the UCC, and more. Through our denomination, the United Church of Christ, we participate in mission projects throughout the world.