Weiss & Paarz Volunteers with AC Rescue Mission

Posted on June 24, 2015

Last weekend, as part of a new firm-wide initiative to spend more time serving our community, Weiss & Paarz employee Amanda Mabes organized an event to volunteer with the Atlantic City Rescue Mission serving food to those in desperate need.

With the help of donations, the Atlantic City Rescue Mission has developed into the largest homeless shelter in all of South Jersey. For five incredible decades, a non-profit Christian social service ministry has been running the AC Rescue Mission where “nobody is turned away”. The rescue mission provides food, shelter, counseling, bible studies, detox programs, job placement assistance, housing placement assistance, career training, life skill classes (including literacy & parenting skills), and even medical care to people who cannot afford these basic necessities on their own.

Miraculously, the AC Rescue Mission houses close to 300 people each night and serves a whopping average of 720 meals per day. These heart-wrenching numbers highlight the growing need for help in the Atlantic City & Southern New Jersey region.

Firm attorney & volunteer Julie Nugent shares her personal experience, “Service to others has always been a part of my life, but volunteering at the AC Rescue Mission was an eye-opening experience.  It helped me truly appreciate, on a personal level, just how many people living in our communities struggle on a daily basis.  I don’t think the magnitude of Atlantic County’s social problems can be truly understood without a hands-on experience like this.  If more people truly understood how many people are struggling and saw it first-hand, they may begin to view volunteering at places like the Rescue Mission as a civic duty, rather than an extracurricular activity on the weekend.  Going forward, I hope to have more opportunities to help those in need, even if it’s something as simple as serving dinner on a Saturday night.”

Now more than ever, Atlantic City needs our help to rebuild the economy and relieve the many casino employees that have lost their jobs, homes, and the ability to provide for their families. To volunteer or donate to the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, please visit their website at http://www.acrescuemission.org/.

If you or someone you know is passionate about a local cause and could use a group of volunteers, feel free to contact Weiss & Paarz with your suggestions!