Outreach, How We Serve the Community Around Us

All aspects of our church are involved in serving our neighbors. From the children, to Deacons and our dedicated Mission Committee, see below our many efforts to help those in need and see how you might assist. Click here to view our volunteer opportunities and contact us to help. Make a Difference Today!

Mission Committee News

The Mission Committee has been keeping busy since Christmas. We helped support Pouches for People, a group that has mentally and physically handicapped adults sew and fill pouches for various organizations including Eva’s Place, Oasis and several veteran organizations. They learn to shop for the supplies to sew and fill health kits then deliver them. It is a two-fold service, for those that create the kits and those that receive them.


We served a Walk-In Dinner in Hackensack at the homeless shelter. This dinner is open to all who need a meal, not only the homeless but those on low income. Some work minimum paying jobs and dinner help them stretch their limited resources. In addition to the committee, we want to thank Fran Blowers, Bing Qiang Lu, LuAnn Poch, and Pat Ruggero.


Our new endeavor is collecting ladies work attire for offices. Oasis trains women for jobs to get them and their children out of poverty. Once they complete training, the women need clothes to go on an interview and then for work once they obtain a position. We are seeking gently-used suits, slacks, skirts, blouses, sweaters, shoes, purses and accessories. They keep these items separate just for this purpose. Please contact Diane DeSantis at 551-404-3698. I will deliver the items.


We were so glad to have Katherine Kittridge back to our meetings after her health issues. If you know of any group that may need our help, speak to a member of the committee.  ~Diane DeSantis

Community Alliance Banking Program

Boiling Springs Savings Bank, a long-time neighbor and friend of FPC, has provided us for a number of years with an unprecedented opportunity for fundraising. Through the Community Alliance Banking Program, Boiling Springs will make a quarterly donation, without cost to you, to FPC. The donation is based on the average balances in the participating member’s/friend’s designated accounts. Eligible accounts include checking, savings, CD’s, Premium Checking, Money Markets and Individual Retirement accounts. Both new and existing accounts are eligible.


When you open your new account at Boiling Springs, simply tell the customer service rep that you would like this account to be included as part of the Community Alliance Banking Program for First Presbyterian Church of Rutherford. If you already have an existing account with Boiling Springs, just visit one of their branches to fill out an enrollment form designating the account to be included in the Community Alliance Banking Program for FPC. It is very important to note that all of your account information is kept strictly confidential within Boiling Springs. No one from FPC will have any knowledge of the donor’s account information or account balance. To ensure complete privacy, when Boiling Springs makes their quarterly donation, they do not even provide a list of those who have named FPC for receipt of the funds. We encourage all members and friends of FPC to enroll because, to put is simply, the more members and friends that enroll the larger the quarterly bank donation becomes. For more information, please contact the Church office.

St Patrick's Day Dinner

The blessings of Saint Patrick were definitely upon us at our dinner gathering Saturday night!  Special thanks go to our hosting Deacons, our cook Bill Rood, our baker Mary Buckley – Hadrava and Toby Gentile. It was an outstanding effort and a very fun evening!

On Monday, March 5, our First Presbyterian volunteers were at it again, serving a delicious hot pasta dinner at Bergen County Human Services Center! The best part was when our guests came up to us afterwards and thanked us for such a nice meal. It makes it all worthwhile, and God’s love was shared.

Rutherford World War I Centennial Committee

Honoring Veteran Richard Earle Locke

1st Lieutenant, Chaplain’s Corps

American Expeditionary Forces, Services of Supply, Base Section #3

Dr. Reverend Locke was called as our Minister from 1909 to 1922. During World

War I, Dr. Reverend Locke was granted leave by the Session to serve as chaplain

with the Army in France. He and Mrs. Locke were the first family to occupy our present manse at 80 Ridge Road. The floor plan of the house was completely designed and drawn by him. In 1922 Dr. Locke was called to a church in Albany, New York. His years were also memorable because it was he who founded and led the first Boy Scout Troop, Troop 1 in Rutherford, which was one of the first in America.


Reverend Locke’s picture hangs in the lounge and also view the Memorial and Service plaque in the narthex vestibule listing those in our church membership that served our country.


The Centennial Committee has designated Dr. Reverend Locke “Veteran of the

Month” for January 2018. His biography and picture will be on display in the main lobby of the Borough Hall for the month. Every month from April 2017 through November 2018 the committee features a man or woman from Rutherford who served our country. This time period represents the 20 months in which the United States fought in WWI 100 years ago.

Project Christmas Morning

Project Christmas Morning is supporting Oasis, an agency that assists women and children in changing their lives through programs designed to feed, clothe, educate and empower women and their children in need. They offer educational programs for GED exams, computer skills, and job training for women and youth development programs after school for children. They now serve 600 women and children daily. It is the hope of the Mission Committee that we again share our generosity this holiday season by giving gifts for children ages 5 to 12 years of age. Please stop by our table today during Fellowship so you can bring joy to a child on Christmas morning. Envelopes will be available through November 26th and will be dedicated on Advent Sunday, December 5th.

On November 6th, with help from the congregation and friends, the Mission Committee served meals for the Family Promise walk-in dinner in Hackensack. Pictured left to right below: Kathy Savino, Bing Qiang Lu, Dylan Cabri, Diane DeSantis, Kathy Kazalis, Luann Poch, Mary Hadrava, Fran Bowers, Dimitri Skendari. Not pictured - Carol Geragotelis.

Shave & Haircut for Veterans on Memorial Day

The Mission Committee asked for your support with our “shave and haircut” project and your response was generous and sincerely appreciated. Many organizations provide meals and clothing, but often personal appearance becomes a vital part of one’s outlook on life. We wanted to aid veterans with having the means to accomplish that goal. With the assistance of an active American Legion in Kearny who see veterans on a daily basis, this collection provided haircuts and other hygiene items to help the veterans returning to civilian life, seeking employment, aging veterans on fixed incomes, and those who find themselves homeless.


We want to thank the Sunday school children for their beautiful cards and thoughtful messages to our veterans for Memorial Day. Eight delightful girls with wonderful smiles and lots of enthusiasm from our Sunday school helped collect your gifts at the doors with patriotic red, white and blue baskets. We thank them for their participation in honoring our veterans.

On March 6th we served over 100 meals at Family Promise in Hackensack. It was a wonderful experience, which we offer several times a year. Thanks to our generous Mission Committee and kind volunteers who cooked and served the meal!