By David Karas | Correspondent

As the Vincent’s Legacy furniture ministry continues to expand, organizers have restructured the program and improved systems to bolster its capacity to serve those in need.

“This ministry can be all consuming and cannot be sustained through the herculean efforts of only one or two people and a handful of worker bees,” said Kathleen Brady-Currie, a St. Vincent de Paul volunteer who is helping to coordinate efforts across various teams that keep the ministry moving. “There are so many moving parts to meet the tremendous needs in our communities.”

Vincent’s Legacy – a diocese-wide ministry that collects and distributes furniture donations to families in need – was the brain child of Margaret More, who established and grew the concept out of the St. Vincent de Paul conference in her home parish of St. Rose, Belmar. It has since been expanded to serve a broader geographic area, and other volunteers stepped up to help. As the ministry grew, and became more dependent upon the committed volunteer leaders, Brady-Currie realized it was necessary to establish some systems and processes.

“It is no longer dependent on one or two people alone to do everything,” she said, emphasizing the volume of work that used to fall on a few sets of shoulders. “Many hands make light work.”

Now that improved systems are in place, Brady-Currie said the main goal is to raise money to help sustain the ministry, and to line up more volunteers to keep furniture donations coming and going.

“We have to pay for the warehouse, are in desperate need of our own box truck and need to raise funds quickly,” she said. “If you can’t physically volunteer, financial support could also play a huge role in our success.”

The ministry has been fortunate to receive consistent support from members of the men’s soccer team at Georgian Court University, Lakewood, who assist every Saturday morning. Brady-Currie said that they still need more volunteers to help visit homes in the area, assess donations and help to select suitable pieces to help those in need.

“We are looking for volunteers in Brick, Ocean and Toms River and Northern Monmouth to help us,” she said. “I encourage anyone who has three to five hours a month to spare to do something good for others to get involved in this ministry. You just have to be willing to put your faith into action.”