For one week every summer since 1983, a group of youth and adult volunteers come together at Camp Lou Henry Hoover in Sussex County, NJ for a week of acting as the hands and feet of Christ. Christian Outreach Project was founded as a service trip to support our local community; a service project close to home to make a difference in our own backyards. What began as a simple idea, serving our local community close to home, has grown into a life-changing mission that depends entirely on the generosity, time, and faith of others.
At Christian Outreach Project, the team of volunteers works to provide home repairs to families in need. These repairs range from a ramp for home entry, replacing drywall after water damage, a new roof, paver pathway restoration, safer bathrooms and many more. In addition to home repairs, we provide connection, community, faith and hope for our homeowners. The homeowners we serve face multiple challenges of financial limitations as well as physical and mental health issues in their families that limit their ability to achieve the necessary repairs themselves.
The greatest challenge we face is simple and urgent: the need is far greater than our capacity. Our ability to serve homeowners is directly tied to the number of volunteers and the level of financial support we receive each year. Without volunteers, the work cannot be done. Without donations, the materials, scholarships, and infrastructure that make this week possible simply do not exist. Every additional team of volunteers allows us to reach another family. Every donated dollar directly translates into safer, healthier homes. To meet this need, the Christian Outreach Project begins recruiting churches each December, working to expand participation and ensure the program’s sustainability. Welcoming new youth into the program is vital, not only to meet current demand, but to keep the mission alive for future generations. We also offer scholarships to remove financial barriers, because no willing heart should be turned away due to cost.
In our last 5 years, Christian Outreach Project has repaired 53 homes with the support of 11 churches and 286 volunteers. Those repairs have led to major quality of life improvements for the homeowners that we serve. The depth of gratitude from these homeowners is always a strong reminder of why we need to continue to put our faith into action to support others. Our homeowners also see the face of Christ with the amazing work of our volunteers.
Christian Outreach Project couldn’t do what we do without the support of our incredible volunteers and donors. Every person that has hammered a nail or painted a wall with us, every person that donated $1 or $1,000, has made an impact, and a positive difference for a family in need. Christian Outreach Project is a program that stays with each person it touches, whether it is giving or receiving support. Our goal is to sustain it for years to come by inviting more youth, adults, and churches to become involved in this annual summer week of missions outreach. We invite you to join us on this amazing and deeply spiritual journey! To learn more, please visit our website and contact:
Dave Kihm
Executive Director
Christian Outreach Project
PO Box 433
Rahway, NJ 07065
Email: director@christianoutreachproject.org
Phone: 201.431.6290