Hope Chest Provides Needs for Community

As the country’s economic fortunes began to plummet and the number of people who needed help grew, the , located at 420 South Sixth Avenue, took on the challenge.

It opened the Hope Chest in January of 2009 in place of its food pantry to serve as a supplement for those who needed use of the Mobile Food Bank, which comes to Galloway the third Wednesday of every month.

“We used to give out 2-3 bags of food a month,” said Donna DiRenzo, who oversees the Hope Chest for the Beacon Church. “Then the economy went down and we started giving out 10 bags a week. So we opened the Hope Chest, and now we’re up to 100 bags, and we’ve added clothing and toiletries. It has not slowed down at all. It increases weekly.”

There are 60 people involved with Hope Chest, either bagging food or behind the scenes, according to DiRenzo.

“It takes a lot of people to pack 100 bags of food every week,” DiRenzo said.

The Hope Chest will soon receive a major boost, via a $4,000 donation from the (GTBA). The GTBA raised the money Thursday night, June 28 during its inaugural event in . Approximately 600 people from all over the region showed up for the event, which was officially labeled a sellout less than an hour after it commenced.

“This is wonderful. We were overwhelmed, and we were blessed to be chosen as the benefactor,” DiRenzo said. “I can’t believe it sold out in 45 minutes.”

The idea for the Hope Chest originated on a mission trip to New Orleans in 2007 to assist with relief following Hurricane Katrina. The church in New Orleans had a “free store,” serving as the inspiration for the Hope Chest.

The Hope Chest is open on Tuesdays from 10 a.m.-noon, and on Wednesdays from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. It is located within Beacon Church, and is open to anyone in need of assistance in the local communities, including Galloway, Absecon, Port Republic, Cologne, Pomona and Egg Harbor City.

Hope Chest accepts non-perishable food, toiletries and monetary donations. When Hope Chest is closed, donations are taken at the Beacon Church office.

Non-perishable donations Hope Chest accepts includes:

• cereal/oatmeal;
• peanut butter and jelly;
• tuna;
• macaroni and cheese;
• pasta and sauce;
• soup;
• canned fruit and canned vegetables;
• rice;
• shampoo;
• soap;
• toilet paper;
• deodorant; and
• toothbrush and toothpaste

Anyone is welcome to volunteer two hours a month when the store is open, or work behind the scenes stocking shelves and sorting clothes.

For more information, contact DiRenzo at 609-748-0001 or beacon@beaconefc.org.