ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE

Our Campus Ministers were hard at work making Gratitude bags for family, friends and neighbors in the communities who were Good Samaritans to those who experienced damage from Hurricane Sandy.

While they were busy making Gratitude Bags, Ms. Medina's Club was collecting shoe boxes of goodies for Operation Christmas Child.  

A simple shoe box filled with dolls, cars, or even school supplies is just another way to deliver happiness to children across the globe. Each shoe box is prepared with love.  We enjoy being a part of this project and giving back.

... and Benedictine's Cor Defenders were preparing bags of Thanksgiving dinners full of turkeys and all the fixings for families in need.

We give thanks to God for the opportunity to DELIVER HAPPINESS to our sisters and brothers in the local and global communities.  

SIA FALL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

 

The Jefferson Awards Students In Action Leadership Conference was held in the STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) Building on Kean University Campus. It was an amazing day consisting of team building, leadership development, goal setting and strategic planning with over 150 students from schools in Northern New Jersey.

Karen Hatcher, the Regional Jefferson Awards Director, and Robert Provost, the Director of Marketing for the Star Ledger, inducted Benedictine Academy's Students In Action Leadership Team as an Ambassador School. Benedictine Academy is one of the six schools (out of 350 + high schools) across the country to achieve Ambassador Level Status,

This is the highest Jefferson Awards honor that can be bestowed on a high school based on excellent achievement and Regional Gold Medal Awards two years in a row.

Our SIA Students were responsible as the Leadership High School to mentor the other high schools and lead the workshops. We were excited to be with our brother school, St. Benedict's Prep, who is now a Jefferson Awards Students In Action High School.

State Farm, a partner of Jefferson Award, presented Karen Hatcher with a most generous check for $14,500 to help support the Students In Action program.

Service Leadership is the hope of our future for a better world.

COMFORT BUNDLES

As we continue to watch the news reports, speak to people, and drive past the destruction of homes, businesses, and shelters, we are filled with an overwhelming feeling that there is more work to be done. Our job is not finished. People are beginning to feel the depth of the loss, the despair, and the loneliness that one feels when everyone else has returned to life as usual... and they need our help, especially as we enter the holiday season.

Benedictine Academy was overwhelmed by the caring and compassion of their Jefferson Awards Students In Action schools across the country to support our efforts to aid the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Leading the way, Karen Hatcher, our Regional Jefferson Awards Director, was the conduit to PROJECT COMFORT. The message is simple: "A little bundle of love."

The Students In Action Teams across the country will be making and distributing to the shelters, American Red Cross, and Bridges in New Jersey and New York City, A LITTLE BAG OF COMFORT consisting of a little comfort bear, cough drops, mini pack of tissues, light stick, cereal bar, candy, hand sanitizer, pad/pencil, a $10/$25 food/visa gift card and a message of hope and love.

Any of these donated items may be sent to the attention of Linda Michalski, Campus Ministry, Students In Action Moderator, Benedictine Academy, 840 North Broad Street, Elizabeth, New Jersey 07208. If you have any questions, you may call me at (908) 352-0670, ext. 125.

Hurricane Sandy Relief Numbers

During difficult times like these, we often do not know who to call or how to help.  The following list of Hurricane Relief Numbers is a good starting place.  Please be aware it is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all available resources.

 We are grateful to Karen Hatcher, our Jefferson Award Students In Action Regional Director, for assisting us in these efforts.  

HURRICANE SANDY

BENEDICTINE ACADEMY FOOD DRIVE

Let’s share with each other and watch the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes happen at our BA community.  Bring in a bag of groceries for our families at BA without power or for our neighbors in the local community:

A grocery bag full of canned food, water, noodle soup, or peanut butter & jelly may be placed in the center hallway by the gym.  If you know of a family in need in your community or for your own home/relatives, simply take a few bags and bless them. 

If you have extra blankets, warm clothes, coats that you would like to donate for the Elizabeth Coalition for the Homeless, please bring to Classroom 5.

LOOKING TO VOLUNTEER

Type in your zip code for the following websites and find who needs your help in your area.

www. Volunteermatch.org

www. Volunteernewjersey.org/vnj

TRENTON HOTLINE ALSO NEEDS THE HELP OF ADULTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE.  If you have time or know someone who has time to answer the hotlines in Trenton, call:  Department of State – 225 W. State Street, Trenton – 4^th floor. Rowena Madden. The phone contact number is (609) 633-9627 or 633-9629.

GAS Availability by location/gas station/wait line: http://www.mappler.net/gasstation/

Food Pantries in Elizabeth

·         Elizabethport Presbyterian Center- 200 Second Street  Contact: James Carey 908-965-2646

·         St. Joseph’s Social Service Center- 118 Division Street  Contact: Ray McBratney/Lila Montalvo- 908-721-6316/908-354-5456

·         The Salvation Army- 1005 East Jersey Street  Contact: Capt. Sebastian Leonardi- 908-352-7057

·         Mt. Teman Church- 160 Madison Avenue  Contact: Barbara Cook- 908-351-2625

·         St. Mary of the Assumption Parish- 155 Washington Avenue  Contact: Anthony Moccia 908-352-5154 ext 24

·         Jesus is Lord- 223 Spring Street  Contact: Elena M. Iglesias- 908-355-1335

·         Ebenezer SDA Community Serv.- 1203 E. Broad Street  Contact: Nirva Phillipe- 908-353-5527

·         Streetlight Mission- 1181 E. Broad Street  Contact: Arthur Marchione 908-820-8324

·         Council Evangelical Apostolic- 67 Prince Street  Contact: Karl Joseph/Lennie Belizaire- 908-289-6723

·         Jefferson Park Ministries- 447 Madison Avenue  Contact: Catherine Saintilien- 908-469-9508

·         Ministerio De Restauracion- 163-165 Third Street  Contact: Gloria Mesa- 908-906-5249/908-906-3023

·         Bethany Community Center, Inc-36 South Broad Street   Contact: Yvan Maxi 908-289-0082

·         First Baptist- 402 Union Avenue  Contact: Rev. Diana Brown 908-352-0519

·         Shiloah Baptist Church- 95 Murray Street  Contact: Joseph F. Hutchinson 908-355-3777

Disaster Assistance - If you sustained losses or damages due to Hurricane Sandy you may be eligible for disaster aid.   Call to apply: 1-800-621-3362  The TTY number is 1-800-462-7585

·         For 711 or Video Relay Service, call 1-800-621-3362

·         For more information or to apply: www.disasterassistance.gov

·         or Apply on your Smartphone at: m.fema.gov

When you apply for disaster assistance please have the following available:

·         Social Security Number (including your spouse’s)

·         Private insurance information, if available

·         Address and zip code of the damaged property

·         Direction to the damaged home or property

·         Daytime telephone number

·         A telephone number where we can reach you or leave a message

·         An address where you can get mail

·         If you want your disaster assistance funds sent directly to your bank, please provide the FEMA agent with your bank account type (checking/savings), account number and routing number

 Attention residents:

Our Miller-Evans Logan Recreational Center, located at 161-163 First Street, will be open to those who are in need of shelter, heat or still have no power. It will be open all throughout the night.

FEMA is in Elizabeth. They have blue FEMA jackets and Federal IDs. To apply for assistance call 800-621-3362 or http://www.disasterassistance.gov

County News:

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders announced that residents without power who need to recharge their cell phones can use the mobile Union County information van stationed at the corner of Elizabethtown Plaza and Rahway Avenue in midtown Elizabeth. The charging station will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

A free public charging station for cell phones is also available at the Union County Ralph Froehlich Public Safety Building in Westfield at 300 North Avenue East. That facility is open 24 hours a day.

Both stations are available only for charging cell phones. Laptops and other devices cannot be accommodated due to long charging times.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; For more information, call 609-951-2116 or please visit www.redcross.org or join our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

MENTAL HEALTH ASSISTANCE:

To help process the emotional after effects of the storm, please contact Mental Storm Relief, phone # 877- 294 – 4357

Union County Shelters and Emergency Housing

Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless,  118 Division Street,  Elizabeth, NJ 07201 (908) 353-4006

Interfaith Council for the Homeless, P.O. Box 569, 120 West 7th Street, Plainfield, NJ 07061-0569,(908) 753-4001

Proceed, Inc., 815 Elizabeth Avenue,Elizabeth, NJ 07201,(908) 351-7727

Repheal's Life House, 231 Court Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07201,(908) 354-4750

Salvation Army of Elizabeth, 1018 East Grand Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07201,(908) 352-2886

YMCA of Plainfield, 518 Watchung Avenue, Plainfield, NJ 07060,(908) 756-6060

YMCA of Eastern Union County,1131 East Jersey Street,Elizabeth, NJ 07201, (908) 355-9622

Essex County Shelters and Emergency Housing

 Newark homeless services - Dial 211 or (800) 696-7063

Roseville Presbyterian Church ,36 Roseville Avenue ,Newark, NJ 07107,(973) 483-3361

First Hopewell Baptist Church, 525 Orange Street ,East Orange, NJ 07107, (973) 485-8100

Apostle's House,16-24 Grant Street ,Newark, NJ 07104,(973) 482-6609

Elizabeth Avenue Weequahic Presbyterian,761 Elizabeth Avenue ,Newark, NJ 07112,(973) 923-5655

Newark Emergency Services for Families ,982 Broad Street ,Newark, NJ 07102,(973) 643-5727

St. Ann's, 103 16th Avenue,Newark, NJ 07102,(973) 242-6646

St Rocco's Outreach Center ,712 Springfield Avenue ,Newark, NJ 07102,(973) 371-5266

St. Mary's Church ,528 Martin Luther King Boulevard,Newark, NJ 07103,(973) 643-4800

Essex County Family Violence Program,755 South Orange Avenue ,Newark, NJ 07106,(973) 484-4446

Missionaries of Charity ,60 Jay Street ,Newark, NJ 07103,(973) 483-0165

Safehouse ,P.O. Box 1887,Bloomfeild, NJ 07003,(973) 759-2154

REACHING OUT

It is during these difficult times that we see the strength and beauty of humanity, God's presence in our midst.  In response to the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, our students, families and friends have rallied to help the victims and families in need.  Cooking hot meals, sharing bags of food, providing warm winter clothing and blankets, and opening their doors for shelter were just a few of the ways Benedictine Academy and thousands of others across the country have responded to help their neighbors in need.

Our dear friends, Delivering Happiness, have been an inspiration to our school in delivering happiness. They just posted this message yesterday to us in the Northeast from our family friends in New Orleans.

The WOW experience is not so much doing great things, but as Mother Teresa shared, "doing little things with great love".  It is that little unexpected act of kindness, encouraging words that say"I care" that provides comfort and makes people say, "WOW, that was really nice".

Hurricane Sandy Relief

Sister Germaine, Ken Jennings, and Andrea Banks-Suggs would like to express their deep gratitude to the Staff, students and families of Benedictine Academy for their support and dedication through the recent hardship of Hurricane Sandy.

Benedictine Academy and the Staff placed their own needs aside to provide a place of warmth, day-time shelter to our students, along with the comfort of the familiar learning environment and teacher support.  It was beautiful to see the smiles on their faces as they sipped their cups of hot chocolate, courtesy of Luisa Rodrigues, our Business Plant Manager.      

Although Hurricane Sandy had devastated the physical environment and destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes, power lines, and gas resources in the Northeast corridor, it could not touch the love and care in each of our hearts.  Our students and families promptly responded to their BA sisters, families and neighbors with packages of food, hot meals, friendship and warm blankets.  As families slowly regained their power, they began to open their homes to others who were less fortunate.  And then, the compassionate hearts of Benedictine Students and Staff went into full motion.


A food drive was organized where students and staff could drop off a bag of food in the front foyer by the statute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and simply take a bag or two to families in need.  The African American Club and the Campus Ministers will deliver the remaining bags of food to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, the central source of food for shelters and families without food.

Ashley Powell and her students through the Power of We made a large contribution to the dwindling food supply, as others worked to fill individual needs and reach out into the community.  A comprehensive resource list providing key phone numbers and services was compiled and distributed to every student.  Many thanks to Karen Hatcher, Regional Jefferson Awards Director, for assisting in this critical task.

The Elizabeth Coalition for the Homeless, similar to shelters all over the tri-state area, has had an overwhelming influx of requests for winter clothing and blankets for their displaced guests.  We have heard their cry and are responding readily with all that we can spare and share.  Our hearts and prayers are with all the victims and families affected by Hurricane Sandy, as well as the emergency power,  municipalities people, and volunteers who are working tirelessly around the clock.

One of our students said,  "When I helped the children at the Homeless Shelter and saw the smile on their faces, it made me so happy.  I really received much more than I gave."

Delivering Happiness by helping others is the Good News of Benedictine Academy!