Bishop blesses renovations to Partnership for Social Services, new office for veterans’ services

FRANKLIN  Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney rededicated and blessed the headquarters of the Partnership for Social Services here, an agency of Catholic Family and Community Services (CFCS), part of diocesan Catholic Charities, after it received $160,000 in renovations to help it better serve the thousands of poor people in Sussex County it helps each year — and help make them feel more welcomed. The improvements also enabled the facility, which has housed the Partnership during its entire 45 years of existence, to provide space for the Sussex County office of the N.J. Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs (NJDMAVA), which was displaced from its former location.

On what was declared “Sussex County Day” on Nov. 19, Bishop Sweeney and Catholic Charities and public officials cut the ceremonial blue ribbon to “reopen” the Partnership, located at 48 Wyker Rd., which has never stopped helping the needy in Sussex County — including single parents, children, veterans, disabled people, and senior citizens — since its founding 45 years ago, especially in the pandemic. The celebration highlighted the critical work of Catholic Charities in Sussex County, which includes a food pantry, a thrift shop, a clothing closet, homelessness prevention services, Meals on Wheels, a veterans’ clothing closet, and case management and residential services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities for the Department of Persons with Disabilities (DPD), an agency of Catholic Charities. The late Sister of the Sorrowful Mother M. Thomasina Gebhard founded the Partnership in 1979.

“We remember those who have gone before us in faith, especially those who have served our country and those who have served so many people like Sister Thomasina,” the Bishop said. “And before Thanksgiving Day, we thank all those who made this renovation possible and those who will continue to serve our brothers and sisters, who are most in need,” Bishop Sweeney said before he said a prayer and sprinkled Holy Water on the Partnership building on the windy afternoon.

Over the past two years, the Partnership building received a new roof, resurfaced its parking lot, installed a new air-conditioning system, new electrical wiring, equipment to make it more accessible to senior and disabled persons, and repainted its interior and exterior — all to help “promote the dignity and respect” of clients and make them “feel more welcome.” The thrift store was moved from the second level to upstairs into a larger space. The renovations were made possible by donations made through the Diocesan Ministry Appeal and a financial gift from Msgr. John E. Fitzpatrick, a retired diocesan priest and pastor emeritus of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Oak Ridge, according to Bob Jacob, CFCS executive director.

“Since we started, we have helped the poor day and night. We are now in good shape [because of the renovations],” said Jacob, who also praised Bishop Sweeney for his support, for “always being available,” and for maintaining a consistent presence in Sussex County.

Before the NJDMAVA found a home in the Partnership building a few weeks ago, its office had been located in the former Franklin Armory which is closed. David Pearson, assistant director of Veteran Services at Catholic Charities, proposed the idea of giving NJDMAVA space at the Partnership. Behind a door that displays patriotic scenes of those in the armed forces, the American flag, and the Statue of Liberty sits NJDMAVA’s new repainted office, which accommodates a chair and desk and two chairs for visitors. Bill Robinson, veteran service officer for NJDMAVA in Sussex and Morris counties, staffs that desk on Thursdays and Fridays in his job to help veterans secure the medical benefits and pensions to which they are entitled, he said.

“I see each veteran as a unique individual. People may have the same ailments but have different life circumstances. As a vet, I understand the system. I always ask them, ‘What can I do for you?’ They are happy to see me. It’s a gratifying job,” said Robinson, a Vietnam veteran, who was discharged with a disability. He also helps widows of veterans secure benefits to which they are entitled. As part of his job, Robinson has referred many vets, including some who are homeless, to Catholic Charities’ services, including Veteran Services at Catholic Charities. “It’s nice to be back up in Sussex County serving the vets in the area again, especially those who have trouble traveling far. This new office shows Catholic Charities’ continued commitment to our veterans,” he said.

Pearson noted that Veteran Services has maintained “good relations” with NJDMAVA, which he said strongly advocates on behalf of veterans receiving the free health care that they need.

During a ceremony before the ribbon cutting, Christopher Brancato, development director of Catholic Charities and master of ceremonies for “Sussex County Day,” said the event “highlights Catholic Charities’ programs in Sussex County. We do a lot in New Jersey’s northernmost county for veterans, people with food insecurities, people with disabilities, homeless people, people in recovery, and families in crisis.”

Kathy Talmadge, director for the Partnership, talked about starting at the facility 22 years ago in the Meals on Wheels program for seniors at home.

“Our seniors appreciate what we do. They have become our family. We check up on them and worry about them. We kept up our service during the pandemic, making sure that the seniors were fed — and safe,” Talmadge said. Many of the speakers at the event before the rededication of the Partnership highlighted the many fruitful partnerships that have blossomed between non-profits, such as Catholic Charities, and government. Col. (ret) Walter Nall, acting deputy commissioner for NJDMAVA, spoke about the department and Catholic Charities being “friends and partners.”

“The new office is a testament to that partnership, which is growing,” Nall said.

Sussex County Commissioner Herb Yardley spoke about those partnerships “making things happen” — part of the county’s commitment to “make sure that vets get the services they need.” A staff member of the office of U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D) presented Catholic Charities with a congressional certificate to mark the event.

State Sen. Steve Oroho (R), who is a parishioner at Immaculate Conception in Franklin, commented specifically on the work between Catholic Charities and veterans’ organizations.

“We as Christians are supposed to be soldiers for Jesus. The soldiers [in the military] protect our freedoms, including our freedom of religion. This has been a great partnership between the two,” Oroho said.