WESTWOOD, N.J.—Following a protest July 1 by about 80 volunteers over an archdiocesan takeover of a longstanding clothes collection operation at St. Andrew’s, the ministry’s volunteer director said he will request the Newark archbishop re-open the ministry to allow it to continue to serve poor, underserved and minority workers and families.
The Monday evening protest included volunteers and individuals who have benefitted from the efforts of Human Concerns Ministry volunteers over more than 40 years of service, said ministry director Greg Ryan.
Ryan said the four-decade-old volunteer clothes collection operation at St. Andrew’s was known countywide as the place to go with clothes donations. He said the volunteer-run operation was ended by interim pastor Sean Manson—allegedly under direction from pastor Jim Weiner—and taken over by the archdiocese’s Catholic Charities division, which lists 27 existing bins countywide on its website.
As of July 3, the St. Andrew’s donation bin was not yet included on the online list of Catholic Charities’ donation bins in the archdiocese.
Volunteers hope to re-open
Ryan told Pascack Press July 3 that no clergy or administrators from the archdiocese or St. Andrew’s had reached out to him since Monday’s protest and he still held out hope the ministry’s successful clothing operations would be allowed to continue by Archdiocese of Newark archbishop Joseph Tobin.
He said he hoped to meet with Tobin to discuss the sudden closure and takeover of the ministry’s clothes collection operations.
Ryan said the volunteer operation annually collected over 200 tons of clothes per year over a period of 40 years—providing clothes to scores of local, national and international human service and aid organizations to assist poor, transient and homeless individuals.
No donations, please
Ryan, who has led the volunteer operation for 10 years, said he was shocked to discover about two weeks ago that a sign had been placed on the ministry’s hugely popular clothes donation bin noting that no more clothes would be accepted and thanks for prior donations.
Currently, Ryan said, the food pantry run by Human Concerns Ministry is still operational but the clothes operation—which was supported by 100 active volunteers—has been “usurped” by Catholic Charities without any notice or explanation.
He wondered why the archdiocese needed to take over the well-run volunteer operation and alleged the archdiocese viewed it as a likely profitable enterprise, with regular donations of high-end clothes and lightly-worn business suits and professional attire.
The volunteer ministry also operates a used furniture collection service, distributing furniture to needy individuals in Bergen County, Ryan said.
Clothes bin removed?
Ryan charged that the oversize bin the group used—donated to them by local Knights of Columbus—was removed without their permission and he was told by Manson that the bin would not be returned to the group.
Manson told Pascack Press the bin had not been removed but Ryan said the bin was no longer on site.
Ryan disputed an archdiocesan statement emailed to Pascack Press alleging the clothes collection ministry was operational. No one from the archdiocese has reached out to him, he said.
He said Manson told him to halt the protest “because I would be hurting the [Catholic] Church and St. Andrew’s.”
Ryan said he hopes to meet with Tobin to talk about re-opening the ministry, minimizing interference in operations by Manson and Weiner and getting their clothes bin back.
Ryan said the church should be more sensitive to local parish concerns and volunteers given the ongoing sexual abuse crisis roiling the Catholic Church, which he claimed has caused a dropoff in Mass attendance and participation from Catholics.
A ‘functioning ministry’
On July 1, Manson told Pascack Press “The Catholic Charities at St. Andrew’s has not been closed down. It is still a functioning ministry. Any reports to the contrary are notwithstanding. The Human Concerns Ministry is still an active ministry at St. Andrew’s.”
Maria Margiotta, an archdiocesan spokesperson, told Pascack Press that St. Andrew’s Church in Westwood will continue serving the needy with a clothing donation program.
“The only change is that the program will be administered by Catholic Charities, a not-for-profit social service agency of the Archdiocese of Newark,” said Margiotta.
She added that Catholic Charities serves approximately 70,000 individuals and families annually through the ministry and provides some 100 bins at 72 churches.
“Catholic Charities will streamline the clothing donation program previously served by St. Andrew’s Church volunteers, which became overwhelming and lacked the proper resources to support the enormous task of sorting, packing and distributing thousands of pounds of clothing,” said Margiotta.
Ryan told Pascack Press that there were no problems he was aware of with the volunteer operation before Catholic Charities took over.