St. Barth Church Honors Single Moms With 'Appreciation Bags'

SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ — St. Bartholomew the Apostle Church in Scotch Plains celebrated Mother’s Day by distributing 70 "appreciation bags" to single moms as a way of honoring the sacrifices they make for their children.

The church's Community Outreach division gave 30 of these bags to single mothers in need who frequent its food pantry. The rest were sent to Mercy House, the Archdiocese of Newark's charity supporting expecting mothers, individuals dealing with addiction, and those in abusive relationships.

Each bag contained at least 10 items donated by parishioners and the greater Scotch Plains-Fanwood community. These included chocolates, hand lotions, candles, and costume jewelry.

"Single moms put themselves at the end of the line, so I thought it would be really nice to give something beautiful that they wouldn’t normally get to help encourage them to keep going," said Director of Community Outreach Elaine Coupe, who oversaw the project. "This is a way of lifting them up and making them feel special because a mother is a special thing. And these women are working pretty hard."

To learn more about St. Bart’s Community Outreach department, contact Elaine Coupe at 908-322-5192 ext. 141 or stbcommunityoutreach@stbartholomewchurch.org.

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