It’s been more than six years since 1Day Hoboken launched, but it’s still amazing to see how much our community can accomplish. We don’t know how many people were truly affected, truly impacted by the projects held throughout Hoboken this year on Sept. 24. But here’s what we do know:

• More than 400 people registered for the event, our biggest yet.
• We packaged over 10,000 meals to help fight hunger in Hudson County with Generosity Feeds. It was an incredible opportunity, one that needed nearly 200 volunteers, and you did not disappoint. The boxes have already been delivered to In Jesus’ Name Charities, St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Thessalonians Community Outreach Center, The Hoboken Shelter and the Hoboken Housing Authority. Those meals will continue to make an impact in our community in the days and weeks to come.
• Dozens of other volunteers served our community in other ways, making a difference in virtually every part of the city.

And you can actually see the difference! Our parks, schools and waterfront are cleaner because of you — not to mention the many other places where you served across the city.

We helped out our friend Spike at the St. Matthew Trinity Lunchtime Ministry, where we helped clean and prepare for the guests they receive on a weekly basis. We love what they’re doing to serve the homeless and the hungry in our community. Their goal is to treat them with dignity and respect, and one of the ways they do this is by maintaining an up-to-standards operation. Can you continue to help? Absolutely. Spike is always looking for Lunchtime Ministry servers. You can email him at office@stmatthewtrinity.org.

Once again, we were able to partner with the City of Hoboken on two projects this year. We tackled the rocky beaches of Maxwell Place and Sinatra Park and began a clean-up of the many items either washed up or carelessly thrown into the surf. We also took to the playgrounds. We know how important it is to keep our playgrounds safe and clean, and we sought to sanitize and protect the play equipment at Sinatra Park and Church Square Park.

We went back and visited our friends at Holy Innocents on 6th and Willow. That beautiful church you see standing there and wonder what’s inside? Our volunteers got a sneak peek of what’s to come. By removing debris, dust and dirt,volunteers helped clean up this historical landmark so it can hopefully provide event space in the near future.

We helped prep, cook and serve another meal with our friends at The Hoboken Shelter. We love partnering with this organization and love giving back to people who care and give so much to their clients. Do you know we do this every month? We cook, prepare and serve the meal on the first Friday of every month from 6-8 p.m. Check our Facebook page for details.

One of our partners in the community is TRUE Mentors. This wonderful organization provides authentic mentoring relationships for the youth in Hoboken and so much more. Through workshops, internships and mentor/mentee relationships, TRUE Mentors is really changing the culture here in Hoboken and we’re happy to assist them. A dedicated group helped clean their offices and prepped activities and supplies for enrichment clubs. For details on how to get more involved, check out truementors.org.

Can you believe it’s been two years since Hoboken Grace met at Hoboken High School? One of the relationships we helped foster there was with the school’s theater teacher, Mrs. Miller. We’ve kept in contact with her and are always looking for ways to help. This year we were able to tackle years and years of piled-up wood and helped create a more efficient environment for the Drama Department all year round.

We had a team at ACME, collecting food and donations for the Hoboken Shelter. This awesome team serves twice a month, helping stock local food banks and shelters. This is something you can do every month to give back! Email anthony@hobokengrace.com to find out how you can join the Collection Table team.

One of our new partners this year is HOLA, a dual-language charter school here in Hoboken. Having recently moved into a new space at the fourth floor of 301 Garden, HOLA needed assistance in putting together their library! A group of bookworms got together, brushed off their Dewey Decimal skills and literally helped build their library! It’s something countless students will enjoy for years to come.

All of this was done in just ONE day, folks! Thank you for those who came out to be a part of this and thank you for making a difference. As you walk by your neighbor or stroll through the park today, realize you were a part of that. For that alone we can be thankful.

Mark your calendars for our next exciting opportunity to give back in a big way! The Hoboken Christmas Exchange is just around the corner on Dec. 10!