The Greater New Jersey Conference’s Peace with Justice Grants have been a blessing to churches and communities working hard to fight poverty, to broaden their reach and connect with diverse neighbors, and to amplify God’s presence in the world.
Your gifts on Peace with Justice Sunday enables The United Methodist Church to have a voice in advocating for peace and justice through a broad spectrum of global programs.
One recipient of this grant is The Maker’s Place, a faith-based nonprofit organization in Trenton, NJ, that was first established in December of 2018 to meet a crucial need of many low-income families: diapers.
They have grown to offer more services and reach and assist more community members than they first imagined. And they sought the GNJ Peace with Justice Grant to support their two main ministry programs, the Diaper Depot and YOUFirst.
Their flagship program, the Diaper Depot, was born out of necessity, as many residents in the Trenton area lack basic needs. “It has been a Godsend,” shares Minister Callie Crowder. Families visit the Diaper Depot month after month for diapers but also infant formula and other needs. And The Maker’s Place staff do not miss an opportunity to meet and connect with them.
In their interactions, some visitors start to open up about what’s going on in their lives, which allows volunteers to pray with them and let them know they are not alone.
Their latest endeavor, the YOUFirst program, only recently came about in 2021. Due to the restrictions of the pandemic, they weren’t seeing as many community members as they would have liked, and they wanted to meet new families. So, they started doing pop-up distributions in different parts of the city, bringing necessities to the people.
The program’s name is inspired by the instructions flight attendants give on airplanes, that we should put our own mask on before assisting other passengers. “Moms are really stretched,” Crowder explains. “They work hard and have so much on their minds. Basic needs are not something people should have to worry about, but they do.”
Therefore, YOUFirst helps moms take care of themselves first so they can take care of others. After all, you can’t pour from an empty cup.
The program offers moms weekends away for respite, gathers them to make vision boards together, and most important, provides mental health support. The Maker’s Place works to mitigate adverse childhood experiences (ACES) and provide a safe environment for struggling community members to talk about mental health issues and to heal from their emotional wounds. They offer group workshops led by chat leaders made up of psychologists, professional experts and others.
The new Peace with Justice Grant allows them to include children in their efforts. For many single moms, it’s hard to go out and take care of themselves when they need someone to take care of their kids.
The Maker’s Place has been able to use the grant money to provide childcare, a balanced meal and some fun and games while moms are getting what they need—information, care and community.
She also hopes the grant money can enable them to hire some local college interns to help. For some, this could be their first experience working with a church, and thus, a meaningful introduction.
The Maker’s Place volunteers love what they do and are committed to the work; and they are just scratching the surface. They are excited to see the women in this program change their lives, and they cherish being a loving space for them.
The value in that gift of love goes far beyond money. But the Peace with Justice Grant is still a valuable source of aid as they seek to make a difference in people’s lives.
excerpt from a story by Krista B. Jefferies, Greater New Jersey Annual Conference
One of six churchwide Special Sundays with offerings of The United Methodist Church, Peace with Justice Sunday enables The United Methodist Church to have a voice in advocating for peace and justice through a broad spectrum of global programs. The special offering benefits peace with justice ministries in the annual conference and through the General Board of Church and Society.
When you give generously on Peace with Justice Sunday, you give The United Methodist Church a voice in advocating for global peace and justice. Give now.
Note: The Maker’s Place is one of GNJ’s Advance Specials & Affiliated Organizations.
Republished with permission from John Coleman, Communicator, Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference
