The Hoboken Christmas Exchange is an amazing event that shows just how much a church community can accomplish when it comes together to help others. It was the sixth annual event, and more than 1,075 children received gifts, including toys, clothing, books and other necessities. God is doing great things!

It was a truly joyful time filled with laughs and tears, and also a unique event that required a range of safety precautions to ensure the use of PPE and appropriate social distancing. The emotions were summed up nicely by a mother of one the recipients, so we thought it would be nice to share her thoughts with everyone:

“I am overwhelmed by the generosity and willingness to give, especially with this year’s unprecedented hardships and health concerns,” said Tina. “I want to thank all of the Hoboken Christmas Gift Exchange donors and volunteers for their selflessness and thoughtfulness, and may God watch over you and your families to keep you safe!”

No child should go without a Christmas gift, and the Hoboken Christmas Exchange is part of our effort to achieve that goal. This year, it was especially important that we commit to this given the challenging circumstances faced by so many.

And we stepped up! Gift donations came in from 425 different people and nearly 200 volunteers contributed to help make the event possible. Families throughout Hudson County are rejoicing as their children will experience a Christmas morning filled with joy.

We are also so grateful for the partnership of several organizations that helped identify families in need, including: the Hoboken Housing Authority, HOPES CAP, TRUE Mentors, Boys and Girls Clubs of Hudson County, In Jesus Name Charities and the Hoboken Police Department.

The Hoboken Housing Authority is one of the key partners and we’re pleased to be able to share their feedback as well:

“Running from your bedroom to the Christmas tree is one of those memories that I think many of us cherish as we look back at our childhood,” said Danny Perez, Resident Services Coordinator at Hoboken Housing Authority. “We can’t just stand by and hope that other children have that experience too. It takes action, and so we are proud to partner with Hoboken Grace to make Christmas special for these families in our community.”

As Christmas now approaches, we can celebrate all that God has provided through this event and the impact it will have on our community. It’s a great example of our motto: “we don’t just live here, we love here!”

Thank you to all involved and we can’t wait to see the how He guides this event, our community and our church moving forward!