NEWS: PSGCNJ Receives Generous Grant from Princeton’s Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church

By Frances Chaves
Thanks to PSGCNJ member Joe Barnes, PSGCNJ recently received two generous donations from the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church in Princeton, New Jersey. The donations, totaling $500, came from the church’s Deacons Board ($200), and the Outreach and Mission Committee ($300). The donation will be used by PSGCNJ to support the acquisition of liability insurance; expenses incurred to obtain federal 501(c)3 tax free designation; and other expenses that support PSGCNJ’s growth.
Kenneth Hitchner, PSGCNJ’s Executive Director, said: “PSGCNJ extends its most heartfelt thanks to the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian for its support of our organization and its mission to put professionals back to work. Since the Department of Labor withdrew its support for PSGCNJ in May 2012, our all-volunteer organization has made tremendous strides toward establishing itself as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, continuing its programs without interuption, and expanding our membership from 280 members to more than 1,000.”
The Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church at 124 Witherspoon Street in Princeton is 175 years old. Its diverse congregation is led by pastor Reverend Muriel Burrows. The church is a vibrant and active faith-community, honoring its heritage and living the present. Its multicultural and multigenerational members are involved in worship, Christian Education for children and adults, women’s ministry, and outreach to the community and the larger world.
Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church supports a number of groups annually. The grants PSGCNJ received came from: The Outreach and Mission Committee, whose mission is to support local and national organizations that strive to improve and enhance the lives of their respective community, and the Deacons Board which provide support for worthwhile entities and people in the community.
Joe Barnes, who appealed to the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church for the grants, has been a member of PSGCNJ for two years and serves as the Co-chair of the Training Committee and a Community Consultant with the Opportunity Committee. He said about the grants: “When we discussed the need for funding at PSGCNJ’s General and Co-chair meetings, I decided to approach Rev. Burrows and the Outreach and Mission Committee and Deacons Board about PSGCNJ’s needs. I informed them of our challenges and accomplishments. I invited each to visit our meeting and our website. I asked for a $200.00-$300.00 donation from each organization. Each organization voted on the request and the requests were approved.”
PSGCNJ member Annabelle Suarez accepted the donations on behalf of PSGCNJ. “The church asks that local organization requesting donations send a representative to accept the donations from the church. This allows the entire church membership to learn about the needs and accomplishments of the organization and some members may want to contribute or volunteer. Several members of Witherspoon Presbyterian Church expressed their interest in volunteering with PSGCNJ.”
The Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church invites PSGCNJ members to join in fellowship from 10;00 A.M to 11:30 each Sunday morning.
Photo Credit: John Kubalski