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Allendale church donates items to help Paterson’s homeless men | Paterson Times

Allendale church donates items to help Paterson’s homeless men

Good-Shepherd-Mission-donation-from-Allendale-church

The Allendale-based Highlands Presbyterian Church recently donated 10 large boxes and bags filled with food stuffs and other items to the Good Shepherd Mission, according to the church.

Good Shepherd Mission, located on 336 Broadway in Paterson, offers shelter to homeless men providing them with meals and safe overnight lodging. The mission also runs a nine-month addiction treatment program out of the location.

The donations will be used to support the mission’s programs for the homeless.

Operating since the 1920s, the Good Shepherd Mission, has as its mission to share the Gospel with men struggling with alcohol addiction while helping them recover.

As part of the program men are required to attend daily bible teachings, be periodically evaluated on their progress, take part in one-on-one counseling with staff, and abide by published rules of behavior set by the program.

The men also participate in small group bible studies during the day. Many graduates of the program stay on as staff members.

The programs do not receive any government grants or assistance. Good Shepherd Mission provided 2,768 meals, lodging for 1,291 men, and provided medical assistance to 38 people from donations it received in December 2015.

Donation items mostly needed by the programs are household cleaners, bleach, detergents (dish and laundry), trash bags, paper products, toilet paper, coffee, oatmeal, sugar, ketchup, mayonnaise, rice, pasta, pasta sauce and staple seasonings.

Deacon for the Highlands Presbyterian Church Donna Henderson said a church member at the Allendale congregation suggested the idea of collecting donations for the mission. She said the church collected bags of rice, napkins, detergent, and other items from its congregation in January for the mission.

The collection was closed in February and the items were donated to the mission thereafter, Henderson said.

“It’s our responsibility to care for the church community and our extended community,” said Henderson.

The Book of Order commands Presbyterians to not only help the community that is close, but also the one that is far, she said.

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