New Jersey District Supervising Minister Alex Reyes and other INC Ministers. (Photo courtesy INC Public Information Office)
NEW MILFORD, NEW JERSEY— Some 250 boxes of canned and dry food items were donated by the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) to the Ascension Parish Church, a parish of the Catholic Church which serves the Bergen, New Jersey community as a food pantry.
Members of the INC throughout the New Jersey district donated canned and dry food items as part of the “Aid To Humanity” program of the Church Of Christ. They brought all 250 boxes to the Church of the Ascension, where they were welcomed by Catholic pastor James Brown, along with council members from the city of New Milford.
It was New Milford Mayor Michael Putrino who contacted the INC to help in food donations to counter the increase in food insecurity in Bergen County amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is exactly what we need; this is exactly what helps,” Mayor Putrino said of the INC’s donations.
Bergen County has seen a 71 percent rise in food insecurity compared to previous years because of the pandemic.
The donations brought by the INC or the Church Of Christ were more than what the city officials, andAscension Parish Church members had anticipated or prepared for. The donations were placed in their gymnasium as their designated storage area was not enough for the boxes of goods.
New Milford Councilwoman Thea Sirocchi-Hurley said that she “was told it was going to be a wonderful donation for our food pantry.”
“I had absolutely no idea that … it was going to be trucks and trucks of food,” she remarked.
Catholic Pastor James Brown thanked the INC for the food donations.
“These donations will help countless numbers of people eat, and for that we’re humbly and eternally grateful to everybody who donated. Thank you!” he said.
Through the “Aid To Humanity” program of its charitable arm, the Felix Y. Manalo Foundation, the Iglesia Ni Cristo or Church Of Christ continues to help communities with their needs, from donating food items to establishing eco-farming sites throughout the world. The various eco-farming communities provide livelihood and housing to those in need in different countries, helping communities to overcome poverty.
The INC has congregations in 158 countries and territories, with members comprising 147 races and nationalities.
(Courtesy INC Public Information Office For more about the Church Of Christ and its activities, please visit www.iglesianicristo.net. )