Newark Church Is Expanding Its Community Outreach In North Jersey

NEWARK, NJ — A “beacon of hope” for residents of Newark is broadening its reach in North Jersey, advocates say.

On Sunday, several high-profile elected officials paid a visit to Metropolitan Baptist Church at 149 Springfield Avenue in Newark to celebrate the expansion of its Willing Heart Community Care Center.

Watch video footage from the event online here, including a presentation of artist renderings of the planned upgrades.

The facility – which will now be known as the Willing Heart Family Empowerment Center – serves hot meals to families in need, runs grocery and clothing drives, gives out school supplies and spearheads community events such as health fairs and housing outreach. Learn more here.

The care center has roots in the community that reach back 75 years. It was reborn as a registered nonprofit after a revitalization effort in 2008.

Over the past 15 years, the Willing Heart Community Care Center has:

• Served over 500,000 hot meals to families in need
• Distributed over 41,000 book bags filled with school supplies for children
• Distributed over 250,000 bags of groceries to families
• Expanded efforts to donate clothing to families in need and given away 5,000 new coats and thousands of new and gently used clothes and shows
• Set up vaccination clinics for thousands of people

Now, the center is expanding again with “greater space” and “greater services,” advocates say.

New initiatives include opening a day care center, a health clinic, a workforce building and training area, and a sanctuary to be used as a family community center.

Several elected officials and community leaders were on hand at an unveiling event to offer their well-wishes and praise for the center’s work. Those who supported the effort included U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, U.S. Reps. Donald Payne Jr. and Andy Kim, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and Council President LaMonica McIver. Grammy Award-winning gospel artist Kierra Sheard-Kelly was also present at Sunday’s ceremony.

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