Outreach & Mission
Our church provides many opportunities to assist those in need. In addition to ad hoc hand-on opportunities and donation drives offered throughout the year, our ministry oversees an ongoing food collection on behalf of a local food pantry, and supports the Gracefully Green vegetable and herb garden located on our Church grounds (see description below). We also coordinate the purchase of ShopRite gift cards and holiday gifts for local families in need each Christmas through our Star Tree program and assist in our Church's participation in local community outreach events.
Some of the organizations that have been supported through our mission and outreach efforts include:
- Toni's Kitchen in Montclair (food and essential needs assistance)
- Bloomfield Food Pantry
- St. James Social Services - Newark (food and essential services)
- Montclair Emergency Services for Hope (services for the homeless community)
- OutMontclair (support for local LGBTQ+ community)
- Integrity House - Newark (support services and treatment for addiction)
- UCC Global H.O.P.E. Disaster Relief Minitries
- Church World Services (refugee assistance)
Mission at Work
Gracefully Green Garden
Located on the South Lawn of the church, along Ridgewood Ave, our Gracefully Green Garden supplies area food pantries and low-income senior housing centers with fresh produce throughout the summer and fall months. The garden is managed through our partnershio with the Northeast Earth Coalition (NEEC) which manages several charitable gardens in the area. For more infomation on NEEC and to sign up to volunteer in the garden, please visit their website at neearth.org.
Special Mission Offerings
Special offerings collected during the year include One Great Hour of Sharing, Neighbors in Need, Strengthen the Church (distributed by the National Office of the United Church of Christ) and the Christmas Eve Offering (distributed primarily among local benevolences). The read more about these special UCC offerings, please click here.
