Nowhere is God’s grace more visible in our diocese than in the ministries and programs strengthened through the Alleluia Fund. Since its inception, the Diocese of Newark’s Alleluia Fund has awarded more than $360,000 to ministries and outreach programs in Northern New Jersey and internationally. In 2012, more than $145,000 was awarded to 25 organizations through the Alleluia Fund. (For a complete list of 2012 grants, click here.)
If you give between today and December 31, your gift will be matched by the Bishop’s Discretionary Fund – up to $15,000.
Here’s how one organization, the Jubilee Center in Hoboken, benefited from your support.
The Jubilee Center offers the only after-school and summer safe haven for children in Hoboken’s public housing neighborhood. The Center, part of the outreach ministry of All Saints' Episcopal parish in Hoboken, helps over 100 students from kindergarten through sixth grade after school and all day during the summer and school vacations thanks to support from the Alleluia Fund. The summer activities which include tutoring, physical activities and games helps kids not only keep up their skills so they do not drop off academically over the summer break but stretch their imaginations as well. In addition to the tutoring and activities for the children, family activities provide engagement and enrichment opportunities that strengthen and support learning beyond the classroom.
Hurricane Sandy found the Jubilee Center surrounded by five feet of water and their van destroyed. But because the center power was restored quickly and schools were closed they became a community emergency center for some of the very same families they serve year round who were still in the dark. Blankets, warm meals, power charging and computer and internet access allowed people to find resources and begin to apply for additional aid. Community organizations like the Jubilee Center provide valuable assistance and presence every day and are especially important during a crisis.
