For the past 15 to 20 years, Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church has been at the forefront of developing faith based initiatives that improve the quality of life for those most disenfranchised and vulnerable in the greater New Brunswick community. During the 1980’s, the pastor and members of this small congregation, nestled in the heart of downtown New Brunswick, fed people on the streets and advocated for the homeless to be housed. The fruits of their labors led to the founding of two thriving non-profit faith based organizations, Elijah’s Promise Soup Kitchen and Middlesex Interfaith Partners with the Homeless.

Emanuel Community Development Corporation (ECDC), a not for profit organization, grew out of the rich history of the socially minded work of the Emanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church. The mission of the ECDC is to strengthen low-income and immigrant families through programs and services that contribute to health, wellness, and economic security and opportunity. ECDC began providing wellness education and counseling services for the community in October of 2004. Over 600 people have attended Wellness classes since the program’s inception. Emanuel CDC financial literacy services have been offered throughout New Brunswick since June of 2005. Twenty-three financial literacy classes have been offered for 200 participants, four Financial Literacy Libraries have been established, and three Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites have been opened since.
 

©2006 Rutgers Tech All rights reserved.