Fr. Dan has challenged us in the spirit of Pope Francis’ call to “Open the doors of mercy!” After working for two years, our opportunity has arrived! The OLMC community will open her doors to working homeless families from July 23rd through July 30th, 2017 as part of the temporary housing program run by Family Promise of Bergen County. As of this writing, two single mothers and a total of three children will be staying in our parish auditorium (Odyssey Theatre) for a week. We will provide shelter, dinner, breakfast and supply lunch. The families only eat and sleep here during the evening hours; during the day they work and their children attend daycare.
“…the Holy Door will become a Door of Mercy through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons, and instills hope.” Source: www.usccb.org
July 23rd – 30th, 2017
Family Promise of Bergen County and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church are teaming up to “open the doors of mercy.” There are many ways to help! Please email me, Elliot Guerra, at eguerra@nullacademyolmc.org with what you can do. Here are some ways to help:
Volunteer
Shifts of volunteers are required to cook and serve dinner in the evening. We can also use volunteers in the morning to set up for breakfast. At least two volunteers must say overnight as per Family Promise regulations. Fr. Dan, Mr. Ed McElroy (OLMC Facilities Manager) and I have already taken three of the seven nights!
Donate
We will need to fill our pantry with items for the families, for example luncheon meats, snacks and more. Also, while Family Promise provides beds, we’ll need gently used or new linens and new toiletries.
Pray
Please offer up the volunteers, organizers and families in your prayers leading up to and during the time of service that the Spirit of God fosters within us a successful event.
We understand people travel during the summer and if you are, we hope you enjoy your rest and ask that you continue to pray for us.
May OLMC continue to be a place that “No matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done, no matter where you’re from, no matter where you’re going, no matter how good or bad things seem, you are always welcome.”
I look forward to hearing from you and thanks!
Elliot
The Family Promise Network is a Sheltering Program for working homeless families with dependent children. Local congregations around Bergen County host up to 14 people at a time on a weekly rotating schedule. Families are provided with safe and comfortable shelter, three meals, companionship, and support. Host congregation volunteers, along with others from neighboring congregations, interact with families, play with the children, and act as overnight hosts.
During the day families have access to the Nancy S. Woods Family Center, from which they leave for work, school, or daycare. Showers, laundry facilities, and computers for homework and job searches are available. Family Case Managers work with all families on a regular basis to set goals and develop a plan that empowers them to return to self-sufficiency. Volunteers in the Network and the community at large assist Family Promise staff develop resources for jobs, educational opportunities, affordable housing, reliable transportation, dependable daycare, and other necessities.