Food Pantry Donations Welcome at 4th Annual Notre Dame Youth Ministry Sleepout for the Homeless, 8pm to 8am, Saturday, Nov. 22; 359 Central Avenue, North Caldwell

by Carolyne Volpe Curley / Carolyne@WestEssexNOW.com
Published 2:56pm



Credit: Terrie Michaels

NORTH CALDWELL, NJ - For the fourth year, the Youth Ministry of Notre Dame Church will be spending a cold night sleeping outside on the front lawn of the church in the hope of bringing awareness to homelessness and hunger. The event will take place this weekend at 359 Central Avenue, North Caldwell, and area residents are encouraged to stop by with donations for the Caldwell Food Pantry. 



The teens will be outside from 8pm, Saturday evening until 8am, Sunday morning, Nov 22 and 23. 

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Food Pantry Donations Needed

Donations Requested
Nearby the front yard camp-out are shopping carts waiting for the donations. The teens will come pick up any items from a car and bring them over to the carts. The following non-perishable food items,  hygiene necessities and household supplies are currently in demand at the Caldwell Food Pantry: 
Food Items

• Jars and Cans: 

• Chicken
  
• Fruits
• Meat
• Pasta meals
• Peanut butter
• Soups 
• Stews
• Tomato Sauce
• Tuna and other fish
• Vegetables

• Boxes and Bags
  
• Beans-all kinds
• Cereals
• Dry soup mix
• Macaroni and cheese
• Pasta 
• Rice

Toiletries  

• Combs, Hair Brushes
• Deodorant
• Diapers - Baby and Adult
• Feminine Pads / Tampons
• Mouthwash
• Q-tips
• Paper Towels
• Shampoo
• Tissues
• Toilet paper
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes

The Notre Dame Parish Communications Director Terrie Michaels explained the the group spends the entire evening outside in sleeping bags, sheltered by large cardboard boxes. During the month after Hurricaine Sandy, the teens instead took the time period to stay up all evening baking and then delivered the items the next morning to churches down the shore.  

"It's really a great experience and the
people in the past
have been amazing with donations," Michaels enthused.
"All of the items collected will go directly to the food pantry.
We stay out all night, going inside only to use the restrooms.
The only year there was a change was the Sandy year;
we instead stayed up all night baking and then
delivered all the baked goods down the shore, another great experience."

Further Information
Notre Dame
Pastor: Rev. Anthony Randazzo
359 Central Ave.
North Caldwell NJ 07006
973-226-0979
E-mail 
Website
Facebook

Notre Dame Parish is a community of more than 1900 families in Western Essex County. They are a Christian Community of the Roman Catholic tradition, serving the town of North Caldwell and the wider West Essex Community.

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