Sep 17, 20212 min read

Neighbors in Need & Family Promise of Morris County to Host Morris County’s Candlelight Vigil

Community Members to Reflect on Hardship of Past Pandemic Year

Morris County, NJ, 9/17/21: On September 26, 2021, from 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Family Promise of Morris County and Neighbors in Need will be hosting Morris County’s Candlelight Vigil in partnership with St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church in Chatham, NJ, to honor those most impacted by the pandemic.

The vigil offers the community a space to mourn any loss experienced over the course of the pandemic; a special remembrance will honor those experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity, who were immensely impacted by the public health and worsened housing crisis.

St. Patrick Church has long partnered with Family Promise of Morris County through their Shelter program, which, prior to the pandemic, functioned on a rotating model aided by almost 80 other congregations and houses of worship throughout the county. A beloved congregation and private primary school within the community, St. Patrick's is also celebrating its 150th anniversary this month.

Family Promise and Neighbors in Need are encouraging individuals and other congregations in the community to participate from home or together as a congregation. Those choosing to do so will need candles, matches or a lighter, and a quiet, comfortable space to hold their vigil.

On September 26, to be in unison with the community, participants are encouraged to begin their vigil at 7:30 p.m. and open with a prayer or a few thoughtful words to reflect on the pandemic and its negative impacts.

For further details on how to host a vigil at your own congregation or from home, please contact Anastasia Arvanites, Family Promise of Morris County Development and Community Relations Associate, at a.arvanites@familypromisemorris.org for an “at home” toolkit.

About Neighbors In Need

Neighbors In Need (NIN) is a Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) coalition tasked with providing new housing opportunities to the hardest to house people experiencing homelessness. Neighbors In Need seeks to accomplish this goal through the Landlord Support Service Program (LSSP), a program designed to incentivize landlords with more protection and support while increasing housing access for Morris County residents. For more information visit: www.NINmorris.org.

About Family Promise of Morris County

Family Promise of Morris County is a non-sectarian, not-for-profit organization dedicated to ending the crisis of homelessness and housing insecurity faced by Morris County families and individuals by partnering with other public and private agencies, religious congregations, and community volunteers to provide shelter, case management, and mentoring services leading to self-sufficiency. Areas of service include Shelter, Housing and Outreach through programs such as Our Promise Drop-In Center, located in downtown Morristown, and the Navigating Hope Mobile Outreach Unit, which makes visits to all 39 Morris County municipalities. For more information visit: www.familypromisemorris.org.