Thread: Sanctuary Program seeks help to feed laborers during winter

Sanctuary Program seeks help to feed laborers during winter
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 01/1/07
BY NICK PETRUNCIO
FREEHOLD BUREAU

FREEHOLD — Organizers of a program to provide the working poor and immigrant laborers in the borough with hot meals during the winter are looking for volunteers to help. Volunteer coordinator Sandra Whitehill said such help is key to the program.

"We rely on people to come and make sandwiches and clean up and make the soup. It just runs on volunteers," said Whitehill, who lives in Freehold Township.

The Sanctuary Program was started three years ago to help day laborers — whose seasonal work slows down during the winter months — and their families.

"We saw a need. We're called to help our fellow man, and in the winter months there are a lot of people who need to get something warm to eat and some fellowship," said Steve Richter, a founding member of the program who moved from Freehold to Philadelphia in July.

Richter said the program provides an opportunity for old-time residents to meet newer residents and ones who "need a little extra help."

"It's a nice opportunity to work with and to meet people I wouldn't otherwise meet," he said.

The program will begin Saturday at the Reformed Church of Freehold, 67 W. Main St. The church will be open from 7 a.m. to noon that day and every Saturday through March 17.

The Methodist Church, 91 W. Main St., will provide breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. Tuesdays, starting Jan. 9 and continuing through the winter.

Organizers are looking to add days.

"As volunteers come forward, we'll expand the program as we can," Richter said.

The Freehold Jewish Center on Broad Street has agreed to participate for a second year in a row on Thursday mornings.

"They're offering their facility, but we need to come up with volunteers," said Whitehill, who noticed the program last year and decided to get involved with members of her church, First Presbyterian Church of Freehold.

"We're doing it because we're Christians, and that's what Jesus told us to do, feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty," Whitehill said.

Frank Argote-Freyre directs the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey's Monmouth County chapter, which is involved with the program. He coordinates food pickup and distribution with the help of two other volunteers, Robert Cory and Joe DeLengyel.

"It's been a great program for the last couple of years. We saw that a lot of the immigrants are struggling in the winter months because there's not a lot of employment," Argote-Freyre said.

The program has a core group of about 30 volunteers, and Whitehill hopes to add at least another 30 so they will not get burned out during the course of the program, she said. Those interested in volunteering should contact her at (732) 984-1424.

Saturdays have been the busiest days for the program in the past, attracting 80 people on a slow day and between 160 and 170 on a busy one, Richter said.

The Rev. Ricky Pierce, executive director of the I Beseech Thee Community Development Corp., said in a news release that his organization is seeking contributions to fund the program. Contributions may be sent to the corporation at 133 Throckmorton St., Freehold, NJ 07728.

Other organizations supporting the program include the Hispanic Affairs Resource Center of Monmouth County and New Beginnings Agape Christian Center.

The movement to assist day laborers evolved from the tensions that arose in autumn 2003 when the Borough Council decided to close a muster zone, where day laborers gathered to find work. A coalition of day laborers and immigrants' rights advocates, who claimed the borough harassed the laborers, filed a class-action suit after the muster zone closed. A settlement was reached in November 2006.

This story includes material from previous Press stories.

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl ... 004/NEWS01

We can help by deporting illegals so they won't go hungry during the winter here.

Originally Posted by IndianaJones

We can help by deporting illegals so they won't go hungry during the winter here.

First they're "doing jobs Americans won't do"...now when they're too many of them in one town to get hired we give them free food?

btt

Look at what will happen if they pass the Agjobs Amnesty. Part of the year they will work and the other part sit on their asses and be fed by taxpayers.

NO WORK? GO HOME!

Dixie