[The Ridgewood News] During the holiday season, we sometimes need a reminder of the basic gifts we are lucky to have – food, water, family and a safe home with a warm bed in which to sleep.
Sometimes we also need a reminder that not everyone has such essentials, and there are even entire families that rely on local charitable organizations to help them in their time of need.
Such is the role of Family Promise of Bergen County, which works with local churches to provide housing for temporarily homeless families and has a robust presence in the village – it’s headquartered in the basement of the Ridgewood United Methodist Church on Dayton Street.
Congregations around Bergen County host up to 14 people at a time for a period of one week on a rotating basis. They are provided with shelter, three meals a day and support thanks to the efforts of the volunteers at the respective churches.
The program is open to both working families and those looking for work with transit provided to and from the Nancy S. Woods Family Center at the Ridgewood UMC, where families have the opportunity to shower and do laundry before heading to work or schools. Computers are also available to those looking for work.
Over on Cottage Place, Christ Episcopal Church is getting ready to host its next round of families on Nov. 29.
