We Are Celebrating 40 Years!
Thanks to Sr. Jacinta Fernandes and Edie Cheney, we are proud to celebrate our 40th anniversary this year!
St. Joseph Social Service Center was formed on February 10, 1986 to meet the basic human needs of people in Elizabeth, NJ. Sr. Jacinta and Edie were ministering to the poor and homeless from Our Lady of Fatima convent when St. Joseph’s church closed and the property at 118 Division St. became available.
Joe Vancio, who worked for the Archdiocese, was instrumental in making the move to St. Joseph’s happen. The arrangement was that St. Joseph’s could rent the property for a nominal amount, but the organization would be responsible for all of the costs associated with running the center and its programs.
Sr. Jacinta and Edie sought the advice of their friends, Angie and Mike Vieira. While praying about whether or not they should make the move, Mike Vieira knocked on the door with the center’s very first donation from him and Angie and the decision was made to go ahead. That leap of faith created St. Joseph Social Service Center.
Take a look at the original "Statement of Purpose" below from 1986.
St. Joseph Social Service Center was formed on February 10, 1986 to meet the basic human needs of people in Elizabeth, NJ. Sr. Jacinta and Edie were ministering to the poor and homeless from Our Lady of Fatima convent when St. Joseph’s church closed and the property at 118 Division St. became available.
Joe Vancio, who worked for the Archdiocese, was instrumental in making the move to St. Joseph’s happen. The arrangement was that St. Joseph’s could rent the property for a nominal amount, but the organization would be responsible for all of the costs associated with running the center and its programs.
Sr. Jacinta and Edie sought the advice of their friends, Angie and Mike Vieira. While praying about whether or not they should make the move, Mike Vieira knocked on the door with the center’s very first donation from him and Angie and the decision was made to go ahead. That leap of faith created St. Joseph Social Service Center.
Take a look at the original "Statement of Purpose" below from 1986.
As Sr. Jacinta has often expressed, they prayed a lot for the resources to fund the center. And it came, thanks to so many of you. It is through your faithful support of our community that St. Joseph’s has been going – and growing – for the past 40 years. The Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless, also founded by Sr. Jacinta and others, joined us at 118 Division Street in 1986 and continues to work alongside St. Joseph’s in service to the community. St. Joseph’s services were expanded to include a soup kitchen, job program, counseling services and medical clinic, which evolved into a prescription assistance program. In addition to housing advocacy, the Coalition added on a children's program and three transitional houses.
As the needs of the community continued to grow, in 2023 St. Joseph’s added new buildings to our site in order to serve our neighbors with as much dignity as possible. Thanks to many donors to the “Building Dignity for All” campaign, we created a client choice food pantry and clothing distribution building and renovated our main hall. These enhancements provide a more welcoming, dignified, and peaceful environment for our guests.
We truly wish that our neighbors did not need to come to St. Joseph’s to meet their basic needs, yet we are grateful that we are a place of hope and hospitality for our community. Throughout this anniversary year, we will dedicate our daily services to honor some of those who make St. Joseph’s possible.
As the needs of the community continued to grow, in 2023 St. Joseph’s added new buildings to our site in order to serve our neighbors with as much dignity as possible. Thanks to many donors to the “Building Dignity for All” campaign, we created a client choice food pantry and clothing distribution building and renovated our main hall. These enhancements provide a more welcoming, dignified, and peaceful environment for our guests.
We truly wish that our neighbors did not need to come to St. Joseph’s to meet their basic needs, yet we are grateful that we are a place of hope and hospitality for our community. Throughout this anniversary year, we will dedicate our daily services to honor some of those who make St. Joseph’s possible.
Daily Dedications
|
|
Daily Dedications Celebrating our Founding Board Members
|
St. Joseph's first Advisory Board was comprised of representatives from local churches as well as community partners. We are so grateful to Ed Butera, Marghy Allan, Alicia Borgia, Marilyn Ryan, Eddie Gray, Joseph Santora, Bernice Davis, Mike Fabricant, Jeanette Gilbert, Sarah Kinman, Edith Coogan, Joseph Vancio, and Mike Vieira. The meeting minutes from June 1986 predicted a promising future, and they made that happen! |
