Friday, April 9, 2010
LEONIA LIFE
Palisades Park — Holy Spirit Lutheran Church of Leonia (ELCA) recently received a $2,000 grant from Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey to help fund a lunch program for day laborers in Palisades Park. The program is held at Grace Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod) in Palisades Park and is organized by the Leonia-based Community of Friends in Action, Inc.
PHOTO COURTESY OF REV. PEGGY NIEDERER. Lee Zandstra presents a check for $2,000 to Rev. Peggy Niederer of Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, Leonia, from Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey.
Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey provides ity, and hope to those in New Jersey who are hurt, in need or have limited choices, regardless of religious affiliation or background. Their diversified social ministry is a not-for-profit organization that assists more than 3,500 people across the state. They work through local congregations and other non-profit organizations that define the specific needs of people in local communities. Lee Zandstra is the Director of Community Partnering and Lutheran Disaster Response for Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey.
The mission statement of Holy Spirit Lutheran Church of Leonia is “transforming lives through the love and hope of Christ.” The pastor of the church, Rev. Peggy Niederer, is also a member of the Board of the Community of Friends in Action, Inc. (CoFiA)
CoFiA addresses the needs of day laborers in eastern Bergen County by supplying lunch once a week to around 60 to 100 workers, between November and April; offering English language classes; distributing bags of food contributed by the Englewood-based Center for Food Action; and maintaining an informal “Workers Link” program that connects homeowners who need jobs done, with people who need work. CoFiA has also recently arranged with OSHA trainers to provide a program on workplace safety to a group of workers.
For more information about the various programs, visit www.communityoffriendsinaction.org or call 201-598-2253. For information about Holy Spirit Lutheran Church or the Lutheran Social Ministries of New Jersey, call Rev. Niederer at 201-403-4341 or Lee Zandstra at 609-699-4133.