St. Luke’s will collect toys, presents, linens, and other goods as listed below for several ministries that comprise the Rosanne Morey Christ Child projects. Please read below for additional information, and contact information if you have questions or would like to participate. Each project has a different deadline, so don’t delay as some are early!
Join us on December 11 at 11:30 a.m. to wrap gifts for our holiday outreach projects!
The Rosanne Morey Christ Child Projects
Rosanne Morey was a prominent member of St. Luke’s Church who believed in giving back, which she did wholeheartedly. She helped develop the St. Luke’s Christ Child Projects, now lovingly known as The Rosanne Morey Christ Child Projects. Every year Rosanne would provide us with a list of needy families, and parishioners would commit to providing Christmas for these families by donating gifts of linens, clothes, toys and other requested items. Rosanne also arranged for us to give toiletries and Christmas Dinner to the men at the Apostles’ House Rooming House.
Apostles’ House
In 1984, the House of Prayer Episcopal Church, joined by Trinity Cathedral and St. Philip’s Church, Christ Church Short Hills, St. Luke’s Montclair, and St. George’s Maplewood, established the Family Emergency Shelter known as The Apostles’ House. Today it is a thriving 501(c)3 social service agency which is accountable to the Episcopal Diocese of Newark. The mission of The Apostles’ House is to provide comprehensive social services to homeless and at-risk families and individuals in the Newark area in an environment that encourages and enables self-sufficiency. Among the various programs offered at The Apostles’ House is a rooming house that is comprised of 12 single room occupancy units. The objective of this program is to provide safe, decent, and affordable housing for low income men, many of whom have disabilities.
As part of the Rosanne Morey Christ Child Projects, St. Luke’s, led by the Senior Choir, has annually given each of these men a canvas bag filled with a hooded sweatshirt, t-shirt, knitted hat, gloves and socks, as well as various toiletries. We have also donated a couple of hams every year for their Christmas Dinner. We are the only organization that gives these men Christmas gifts. As a matter of fact, we have been told that we are the only parish who donates to these men at all throughout the entire year. The last thank you card that we received from the woman who runs the rooming house said that several of the men were in tears when they received their gift bag from us.
Please email Steph Borsi at stephborsi@aol.com if you would like to help.
Prison Ministry
The Prison Ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark acts on the Gospel imperative in Matthew 25:36: “I was in prison and you visited me.” We visit Christ when we help the incarcerated, the children of the incarcerated, and their families.
In that spirit, at Christmastime this year, we can help make the day a little brighter for children whose parents are incarcerated by donating holiday gifts. The Prison Ministry collects the gifts, and shares them at a party for the children and their parents at the County Jail on Doremus Avenue in Newark.
Gifts are needed for children in the toddler years up through high school. Art supplies, sports equipment, music and basic clothing, such as pajamas, slippers, hats and gloves are good choices.
This year we will place a Christmas Tree at the back of the church, with tags for specific types of gifts for specific age groups. You are invited to take a tag and donate a corresponding gift. Please place your gifts in the marked boxes in the back of the church by December 4 for Prison Ministry and December 11 for YCS, so they can get to the children in time.
Please email Sue Singer at ssinger726@gmail.com if you would like to help.
Youth Consultation Service Therapeutic Nursery (YCS)
The Therapeutic Nursery is a partial care, mental health program designed to assist preschoolers, ages two and a half to five years old, who have psychiatric, social, emotional, and behavioral issues. Many of these children have experienced trauma, may be victims of abuse or neglect, and are at risk for a disruption of placement at home or in school. Intervention at YCS is provided by a multi-disciplinary team of professionals, through techniques that foster high self-esteem, positive peer relationships and appropriate behaviors.
A comprehensive individual treatment plan is developed for each child. Weekly parental involvement is required, and parents participate in monthly family meetings and treatment plan conferences. YCS provides the opportunity for early intervention in helping children work through experiences of trauma and preparing them for school readiness.Thank you!
Please email Catherine Murray at catherinemurray5@aol.com if you would like to help out one of the families. Please make sure unwrapped gifts are left in the back of the church by no later than December 11. Please make sure unwrapped gifts are left in the back of the church by no later than December 11.