Connecting with the Community
Founded in 1900 as a Jersey City storefront ministry, Monumental Baptist Church grew and established a footprint at 116 Lafayette Street, which grew into a campus of multiple buildings. In 1944, Monumental Baptist Church notably expanded its focus on community outreach, donating funds to community organizations, and promoting higher education and financial literacy. Today, the church is perceived as an active community partner, who shifted focus post-pandemic to providing food, health education, and medical resources to underserved Jersey City residents.
HealthierJC + Monumental Baptist Church
Monumental Baptist Church believes that a Culture of Health means providing the whole community, not just the congregation, with the resources they need to lead healthy and more rewarding lives.
By educating the community on important health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer care, and cardiovascular disease, Monumental Baptist Church empowers residents to make healthier decisions.
This outreach aligns with HealthierJC’s commitment to addressing healthcare disparities by making the community aware of high-risk chronic diseases, the taking the appropriate next steps for diagnosis and disease management. Partnering with HealthierJC, Monumental Baptist Church has been introduced to and worked with organizations like the Jersey City Medical Center, the Boys and Girls Club, and Hudson County to offer a broader portfolio of services to Ward A residents.
How was the Mini-Grant Used?
Monumental Baptist Church used the HealthierJC mini-grant to host a Senior Lunch and Learn workshop series, a Community Festival, an Intergenerational Gardening event, and to open a new neighborhood food pantry.
The Senior Lunch and Learn workshops focused on senior health and illnesses common with older adults, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. The workshops provided a forum for seniors to interact with neighbors and health professionals to understand their personal risks and develop a plan of action to address those risks.
The Community Festival health fair hosted 18 community vendors, who focused on an array of issues such as housing, insurance, immigration, dental care, and addiction. Attendees were also offered a barbecue meal, snacks, and a yoga class for all ages, free of charge.
The intergenerational garden was an opportunity for community seniors and youth to work together. Participants transformed an open space eyesore into a beautiful greenspace for the community to appreciate and enjoy.
And with the help of Hudson County, Monumental Baptist Church established a new food pantry for the Lafayette section of Jersey City. For this initiative, the mini-grant was used to purchase a brand new refrigerator fully allocated to perishable food storage.
The Senior Lunch and Learn hosted 124 seniors over three days, the Community Festival hosted some 400 attendees, and 12 people participated in the planting of the Intergenerational Garden. Neighbors from all wards were welcome.
Making a Difference…
“Monumental Baptist Church has proven to be truly
monumental in its service and outreach to the community.
Its compassionate caring goes way beyond the walls of the church itself.”
— Maryanne Kelleher, Director, Partnership for a HealthierJC
Kelleher said that Monumental has gone through many changes in the more than a century since its founding. “It has always supported educational institutions, missions, local charitable agencies, and other benevolent causes, and continues to do so”.
And it is important to remember that “all of Monumental’s contributions make for an engaged citizenry and healthier community.”
Leadership is currently rebuilding, restoring, and reimagining the Monumental campus — thinking of new and innovative ways the facilities can be used to continue providing meaningful and valued Christian services to the community.
For more information, visit Monumental Baptist Church.