Whiting community creates hope one dollar at a time
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
By Patrick T. Brown | Associate Editor
At a wedding last year, a woman from eastern New Jersey received more compliments on the dress she was wearing than any other item she could remember wearing. When asked where she got it, she simply said “a boutique.”
That “boutique” was Mother Seton’s Sellar, a store operated by youth and senior volunteers based out of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Whiting. For the past five years, it has been supporting those in need and building community. It also ensures that low-income individuals in Ocean County not only have fashionable clothes, but basic necessities to strengthen their livelihood.
“Almost everything in the store is a dollar,” said Rosemary MacMaster, who, along with Debbie Milecki, founded Project Pride a half-decade ago. “Anyone can come in and purchase stuff, and all that money is put back into the community by doing a Thanksgiving luncheon, fresh food for Christmas, gift cards. If anyone is needy, if they’re sent to us by the school, or the senior services, they get everything for free.”
MacMaster and Milecki are youth coordinartors at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and originally launched Project Pride as a way of ensuring local teenagers would have a place to go to receive clothing, toiletries, school supplies and food.
We hear about “teens in our community who were living out of their cars,” MacMaster said. “We had been talking about starting a community service project that could be ongoing, and that’s how Project Pride got started, so that kids would have pride in going to school. We supplied them with school supplies, clothing and food.”
After Hurricane Sandy, the initiative evolved, accepting monetary donations and handing out gift cards to those impacted by the storm.
“We put it out to our families and said we were looking for [donations of] clothing, and in the beginning, we figured we’d just be helping teens and kids, but then it turned out we started helping more people, and after Sandy came, we started helping all ages,” Milecki said. The store now sells clothing for all ages, from newborn-sized clothes to XXL.
“We always say ‘it’s a dollar. You can’t go wrong for a dollar,’” MacMaster said, adding that all their inventory – other than newly-bought underwear and socks – is provided through the generosity of supporters and community members. “We have such a huge turnout in donations, it’s unbelievable. Right now, we have 20 bags we haven’t gotten to, waiting in our office, and it’s just constant. It never, ever slows down.”
Their efforts continue year-round. “At the high school, we gave out a $750 scholarship to a needy student this year. 180 people came to our Thanksgiving luncheon, and it was all free…This little idea has turned into a huge undertaking.”
Mother Seton’s Sellar is located in the lower level of All Saints Chapel, 30 Schoolhouse Road, Whiting, is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 12:30-3 p.m., Wednesdays from 6-7 p.m., and the second and fourth Saturdays of every month from 9 a.m.-noon.
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By Patrick T. Brown | Associate Editor
At a wedding last year, a woman from eastern New Jersey received more compliments on the dress she was wearing than any other item she could remember wearing. When asked where she got it, she simply said “a boutique.”
That “boutique” was Mother Seton’s Sellar, a store operated by youth and senior volunteers based out of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Whiting. For the past five years, it has been supporting those in need and building community. It also ensures that low-income individuals in Ocean County not only have fashionable clothes, but basic necessities to strengthen their livelihood.
“Almost everything in the store is a dollar,” said Rosemary MacMaster, who, along with Debbie Milecki, founded Project Pride a half-decade ago. “Anyone can come in and purchase stuff, and all that money is put back into the community by doing a Thanksgiving luncheon, fresh food for Christmas, gift cards. If anyone is needy, if they’re sent to us by the school, or the senior services, they get everything for free.”
MacMaster and Milecki are youth coordinartors at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and originally launched Project Pride as a way of ensuring local teenagers would have a place to go to receive clothing, toiletries, school supplies and food.
We hear about “teens in our community who were living out of their cars,” MacMaster said. “We had been talking about starting a community service project that could be ongoing, and that’s how Project Pride got started, so that kids would have pride in going to school. We supplied them with school supplies, clothing and food.”
After Hurricane Sandy, the initiative evolved, accepting monetary donations and handing out gift cards to those impacted by the storm.
“We put it out to our families and said we were looking for [donations of] clothing, and in the beginning, we figured we’d just be helping teens and kids, but then it turned out we started helping more people, and after Sandy came, we started helping all ages,” Milecki said. The store now sells clothing for all ages, from newborn-sized clothes to XXL.
“We always say ‘it’s a dollar. You can’t go wrong for a dollar,’” MacMaster said, adding that all their inventory – other than newly-bought underwear and socks – is provided through the generosity of supporters and community members. “We have such a huge turnout in donations, it’s unbelievable. Right now, we have 20 bags we haven’t gotten to, waiting in our office, and it’s just constant. It never, ever slows down.”
Their efforts continue year-round. “At the high school, we gave out a $750 scholarship to a needy student this year. 180 people came to our Thanksgiving luncheon, and it was all free…This little idea has turned into a huge undertaking.”
Mother Seton’s Sellar is located in the lower level of All Saints Chapel, 30 Schoolhouse Road, Whiting, is open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 12:30-3 p.m., Wednesdays from 6-7 p.m., and the second and fourth Saturdays of every month from 9 a.m.-noon.
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