One of North Jersey's largest church organizations is about to embark on an ambitious mission to construct a $30 million care center to offer an array of services from a food pantry to legal counseing, health care and more assistance aimed at those in need.
David Ireland, founder-pastor of Christ Church, said all construction approvals have been obtained and a 2025 groundbreaking is planned for the CARE Center of New Jersey on the congregation's 107-acre campus in Rockaway Township.
That campus - formerly owned by Hewlett Packard subsidiary Agilent Technologies and purchased by the church in 2003 - includes three buildings. One of those was converted into the 160,000-square-foot church facility that currently hosts about 2,500 worshipers for Sunday services.
A second 123,000-square-foot attached building, which has gone unused to date, will be gutted and reconstructed to serve as the home for 15 community services "that will help under-resourced and marginalized individuals and families from across New Jersey rebuild and transform their lives."
“Approximately 10 percent of New Jersey residents remain trapped in cycles of poverty, grappling with economic hardship, systemic inequities, and a lack of access to critical resources,” Ireland wrote in his project announcement. “As such, the urgency to rethink the way we alleviate poverty has never been greater. By providing an integrative approach to community care that combines 15 core programs tackling mental health, food insecurity, financial literacy, and skill-building, The CARE Center of New Jersey is poised to help to break the cycle of poverty."
Wednesday, Ireland hosted a walkthrough of the empty building, where renderings of the new facilities stood on easels in the open spaces. Walking through the existing campus facilities, which include a 1,100-seat main sanctuary, reception halls, a spacious lobby, classrooms, children's spaces and more on two floors, he pointed out a window to the empty building space, indicating where the church lobby will be connected to the CARE Center lobby.
The open space is large enough that one of the facility managers uses a motorized scooter to get around. "They manufactured microchips here," Ireland said of the former owners as he pointed to an area where the roof will be raised for a "high school-size" gymnasium.
Thirteen of the 15 services planned for the care center are already up and running in some manner, including a food pantry, thrift store, multisensory room and counseling center. All will have a dedicated space in the new facility.
"We're trying to start the renovation around this time next year," Ireland said. "It will take about 12 months for everything to be finished."
Also in Clifton, Montclair
Christ Church currently operates on an estimated $12 million annual budget funded by donations, Ireland said. The $30 million needed will come from a combination of grants, donations "and a loan if we need it," Ireland said. They hope to raise up to $15 million from federal, state and private grants and $10 million from the congregation.
The church has additional locations in Clifton, Montclair and Rockaway and claims a diverse membership of more than 10,000 people representing 70 countries. The new center also will create 30 full-time jobs in the community, Ireland said.
Some services offered by the CARE Center will be free of charge while others will carry a "highly discounted" fee. Some will be offered through mobile service units.
The list of programs and services includes:
"This comprehensive model isn’t just about short-term relief," Ireland said. "It’s about creating long-term pathways for families to independently thrive.”
More information about the project is available online.
