Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen joined with child care providers across the nation to celebrate the Week of the Young Child from April 4th to April 8th. Week of the Young Child is a program run by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. It takes place every year in April and brings focus to young children, their families and the childhood programs that they need.
Catholic Charities’ run food pantry and thrift store are in the business of carrying out the works of mercy, expectedly feeding the hungry and clothing the naked.
Mobile Family Success Center, a program run by Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen which provides community-based, family-centered services utilizing neighborhood gathering places in Middlesex County, was honored with a proclamation from North Brunswick Mayor Francis M. Womack III and the Township Council during their March 7 virtual meeting.
A typical day for many village children in the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Guatemala consists of waking up at dawn to accompany a parent to work each morning or being sent to the village plaza to sell items in order to bring home income for their family. At a young age, these children are faced with the reality of the demands of work. The Guatemala Scholarship Program has become a game-changer for these children, providing them with an opportunity to receive an education. As part of a comprehensive partnership between the Diocese of Santa Rosa, Guatemala and the Diocese of Metuchen, the Guatemala Scholarship Program provides school supplies, books, medicines, and other basic necessities, as well as promotes service to the community and the active participation of parents supporting their children’s education.
Recently, graduation celebrations took place in the LifeSet Program as LifeSet Specialists, Krista Merola and Diana Mandel both celebrated earning their master’s degrees in social work. Both graduates completed their degrees at Rutgers University School of Social Work during the Covid-19 pandemic with Krista graduating in May 2020 and Diana graduating in January 2021. Due to safety concerns during the pandemic, Krista and Diana were unable to walk in a formal graduation ceremony. However, their long-awaited graduation ceremony was held at the Rutgers Gardens in October, and the LifeSet Program celebrated the Specialists’ achievements over brunch that followed.
As Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen celebrates those employees who have achieved milestones in their employment at the agency, Catholic Charities’ Child Care says goodbye to Deborah Vitale. Miss Debi (as she was always called) has been with the Child Care program for over 28 years. Debi began her employment on September 7, 1993, at the Triangle Elementary School in Hillsborough School District, Somerset County. As she departs from the agency, she is proud to look back on all the memories she has collected in her scrapbook from her time at Catholic Charities.
On November 08, 2021, the Edison Health Department held a Flu Shot Clinic event at the Ozanam Family Shelter. The vaccines were offered to both clients and staff at the Shelter. A total of 11 clients and 4 staff members received their flu shot.
It was a typical, bustling morning at the Catholic Charities YES Early Learning Center in New Brunswick on November 16th. Staff members were welcoming the preschoolers and their families as they arrived to school and settled into their educational day. As the children finished entering the Center and families went off to start their day, the doorbell rang at the main entrance. One of the Learning Center’s Family Workers greeted a man at the door. He stated that he wanted to make a donation to the Center to benefit the students and their families. Speechless by this unexpected act of generosity, the Family Worker looked down to the man’s hands to find three envelopes totaling $900.00 in cash. The man would not share his name and did not want recognition! Astonished by the man’s kindness, the Family Worker thanked him as he walked away. The money donated will go directly to the families in the form of gift cards to purchase holiday meal items and needed groceries. As we enter the season for giving, this generous man reminds us that “Giving is not just about making a donation; it’s about making a difference.” Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen Child Care typically serves over 1400 children, preschool to school age throughout several counties in New Jersey. Over 145 preschoolers attend the YES Early Learning Center located in New Brunswick on a daily basis. To learn more about Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen and Child Care please visit our website: www.ccdom.org/child-care
Since enrollment in the Keeping Families Together program, Tonya has moved progressively towards independence, despite being a victim of domestic violence, family challenges and past traumas. She moved into a new home, obtained her GED and plans to enroll in a sleep study technician program at Thomas Edison University.
Since volunteering with Mobile Family Success Center in 2017, Carla has shared her passion and talent in both the culinary and visual arts hosting various events, workshops, and virtual platforms within the community.
Catholic Charities Diocese of Metuchen’s Mobile Family Success Center (MFSC) held its 2nd Annual Community Baby Shower on Saturday, September 25th, 2021, in collaboration with and sponsored by Healthier Middlesex and WellCare. The event was held at the Edison Senior Center and was themed “What Will Baby Bee.” Health education, community resources and support for new and expectant parents were provided with support from Saint Peter’s University Hospital, Robert Wood Johnson Hospital, Community Child Care Solutions, Parents as Teachers, Central Jersey Health Consortium, Edison Municipal Alliance, Middlesex County Court Employees, Middlesex County Office of Health Services, Nurse-Family Partnership, VNA Health Group, United Way, Safe Kids Middlesex County, and Community Bank/NJ SNAP. As part of the community baby shower, Middlesex County residents received diapers, wipes, clothing, and fresh produce boxes. Parents were welcomed to attend health education workshops. Free car seat inspections were conducted by child passenger safety technicians from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s Safe Kids Middlesex County program. All of the families present met with local community providers and received essential resources for new parents. The Mobile Family Success Center (MFSC) of Middlesex County is a community-based, family centered program, utilizing neighborhood gathering places where any community resident can go for family support, information and services. The program currently focuses on bringing services to East Brunswick, Edison, North Brunswick, Piscataway and Sayreville, but events are open to all residents of Middlesex County. Last year Catholic Charities provided more than 160,000 hours of service to our neighbors in the Diocesan counties of Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset and Warren. To learn more about Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen and its 100 programs and 20 service areas which provide a path to self-sufficiency and hope for a brighter future for people from all walks of life, all races, all religions and all economic levels, visit www.ccdom.org.
“Life is a gift and when it is long it is a privilege. The ‘wealth of many years’ is a wealth in terms of the persons themselves, their experience and history,” a quote from Pope Francis is how Sister Michaelita Popovice would best describe turning 80.
