Hoboken Church To Host 2016 Christmas Exchange: Adopt A Family Or Child

From Hoboken Grace:

Hoboken, NJ – This Christmas Hoboken Grace Community Church will host its second annual Christmas Exchange, giving the community a chance to help make a memorable Christmas for families in-need.

Those interested can sign up here. They’ll then choose to adopt a child or and an entire family. Once signed up, they will receive a list of needs for that specific family or child.

“Through this event we get to provide toys for children this Christmas but it’s also an opportunity to provide much needed household items that can benefit a whole family,” said Anthony Reimer, Outreach Director at Hoboken Grace. “Some parents have asked for simple things like pots and pans, bedding and toiletries, diapers and towels.”

Hoboken Grace has been working with the Hoboken Housing Authority, HOPES, HUMC Neighborhood Health Center, Hoboken Family Planning and The Jubilee Center to identify families in-need.

The concept of the event started two years ago when one church attendee decided to love families on her own. In 2014, Kara Cohen of Hoboken loaded a U-Haul with her husband and in-laws and distributed gifts to families at the Hoboken Housing Authority.

“It’s so nice to bring people that little bit of happiness,” said Cohen. “It filled me in a way I wasn’t expecting.”

This year Kara wants to help even more people so does her church.

“Kara began this event two years ago with very limited resources and was able to impact so many people in our community,” said Chris High, Lead Pastor at Hoboken Grace. “We knew it was something we wanted to be a part of. We knew we needed to join her in trying to impact as many people as we could the following year and every year after that.”

Gifts will be collected on December 9 and 10 and delivered by Hoboken Grace “elves." Volunteers are also needed for the event. For more details visit HobokenChristmas.com.

“This year we want to raise the bar,” said Kohen. “We delivered over 500 gifts last year through the Christmas Exchange and I’m hoping that the program will grow each year.”

Image via Shutterstock