The Mission Commission is grateful for PCW’s generous commitment to providing financial support to local organizations serving those in need, in response to God’s grace and Jesus’ commandment to love and care for one another. This generosity allowed us to make impactful grants to support programs providing food, furniture and household items, educational and counseling services, advocacy, and summer camp opportunities.
Please continue to support our mission outreach by pledging to PCW or volunteering your time with any of the organizations listed below. We also ask you to pray for the organizations we supported in 2024, and the people these organizations serve.
Agape Local
Agape Local is a newer ministry of PCW. This program works to address food insecurity in our
local community here in Westfield. While Westfield is generally an affluent community, there are
families in town who do not know where their next meal will come from. The Agape Local
program was established to address this concern by providing a weekly box of food and staples
to families dealing with uncertainty.
Contact: Carole Cook
Agape Community Kitchen
Agape is a Greek word that means love, but not just any love – God’s love. Agape is God’s
unconditional love for the world. That love is expressed every week when the doors of First
Presbyterian Church in Elizabeth are opened and volunteers from PCW welcome people into a
space where they can enjoy a hearty meal in a loving environment. Since 2000, Agape has been a
youth-led mission of PCW. You don’t have to be Presbyterian to serve, you don’t even have to
be Christian, you just have to be willing to show up and be a part of Agape.
Furniture Assist
Furniture Assist serves as a steppingstone to self-sufficiency by providing those with limited
means the furniture and household items needed to establish a stable home. The organization,
located in Springfield, NJ, takes in donations of used furniture and other household items that are
still in good condition, and makes these items available to individuals with a recognized need,
free of charge. Furniture Assist clients include formally homeless individuals who are
establishing a new living arrangement, those who are financially challenged and need additional
items for their homes, victims of domestic abuse starting a new home, or those who have
experienced house damage or homelessness due to a fire or natural disaster.
Craftsmen
A group of dedicated retired handymen tackle many small tasks around the church. Each Thursday morning, they discuss the projects to be handled that day and then set out to complete them, finishing up around noon. The Craftsmen work very closely with the members of the Office and Property Management Commission but welcome reports of necessary repairs from anyone who spots something that needs fixing. Anybody who likes to swing a hammer or turn a screwdriver is invited to join the group. Contact the church office.