639 Volunteers. 33 Projects. 1 City.

Every year, the Hoboken community comes together to take part in 1Day. It’s a day when volunteers from all different walks of life reach out their hands, and their hearts, to enhance the community and serve those who live here.

The moment the volunteers began to pour into the gym for registration Saturday morning, the energy in the room became contagious. Whether it was meeting new faces or connecting with old friends, knowing that everyone was there for one purpose allowed God’s love to become most evident.

“I love the idea of serving the community and I also feel like serving is one of the best ways to bond,” said Vickie.

The room was filled with not only Hoboken community members, but six business groups as well.

Pastor Chris began to countdown, “5, 4, 3, 2, 1…” Cheers erupted as each group headed out into the community with the power of love and determination to start serving. From beautification and organization projects to table collections, 1Day stretched into all corners of the city.

“When we are out in the city cleaning, or arrive at the site where we are going to serve, many people ask what organization we are with and why are spending our Saturday helping them out. It’s an amazing opportunity to invite them to learn more about Hoboken Grace,” said Kiera.

After the projects wrapped up, the volunteers met back at Hoboken Grace for an epic after-party. This gave everyone a chance to celebrate all that was accomplished that day.

Whether it is someone’s first event with Hoboken Grace or routinely their favorite event of the year, 1Day has been known to leave a lasting impression on all involved. In fact, some volunteers made such a deep connection with the groups they were serving on Saturday that they have already made plans to revisit the sites on a more routine basis.

We are all neighbors, and to be able to take a few hours to help one another is a gift that has
the power to deepen relationships and inspire us all to answer the call to serve.

“At 1Day, you have the time to have conversations while cleaning and painting,” said Kiera. “It’s a great way to build community and deepen relationships.”

Make sure you check out our recap video of what 1Day looked like, as well as all the photos that were captured that day!