By Jessica Easthope

Camden, New Jersey, consistently ranks among the most dangerous cities in the country. But the crime here is no match for their compassion.

“It’s not that we’re brave, but we’re loving boldly and trying our best to enhance our ministry by inviting many people into our mission and ministry.”

Sr. Bonnie McMenamin runs the show here at the Sisters of St. Joseph Neighborhood Center. The sisters and their volunteers are called to feed the hungry—and in Camden, there are many.

The latest data from the New Jersey Department of Health shows 11.3 percent of the population is food insecure. However, more than one-third of residents live in poverty.

“If they have jobs at all, it’s very low-paying jobs. I would just say that most of our parents cannot feed their families.”

On the third Wednesday of every month, hundreds come to Christus Lutheran Church. They take a number and wait inside as the sisters and volunteers set up their food pantry.

Jennifer LaRosa has been volunteering for years. Now, as the Director of Servant Leadership at St. Joseph Academy in Hammonton, New Jersey, she brings students to help.

“It’s living out our faith in action, which is really, really important, and I say that to our students all the time—that while we’ll be doing a lot of the work and the heavy lifting, we end up getting back way more than we give.”

The food that’s given out ranges from fresh produce and protein to bread and sweets. It needs to cover all the basics because Camden has the largest food desert community in the state.

“Education is a huge part of it, and why, you know, giving them a balanced diet, it’s a balanced meal.”

Here, the people who come to shop at the food pantry are called neighbors.

“As Sisters of Saint Joseph, we always refer to them as dear neighbors. The idea is that each person we meet is our neighbor, and we see God within each person we meet.”

Linda Nieves, a neighbor who has been coming since the pantry’s inception, says a community has formed around the center.

“It was bad with the crime and neglect, but it has improved because there’s been more help for the people in the community. You know the Lord. And there’s always a way—He will make a way, no matter what. So if you have faith, there’s hope.”

Feeding the hungry in Camden is a heavy lift, but the hope the center dishes out is slowly replacing the struggle.

If you’d like to help the sisters with their mission, just go to ssjnc.org/wishlist.

Bishops in Ohio are calling on people to treat migrants with respect and dignity.

The prelates from Springfield released a statement saying the blue-collar city of around 50,000 people has been struggling with “violent threats and life disruptions” after viral social media claims that the Haitian migrants there were eating people’s pets. 

While the bishops did not address this rumor directly, they encouraged people not to perpetuate ill on anyone based on “unfounded gossip.”

A Washington State golfer is back on the greens just weeks after a harrowing near-death experience, all thanks to the quick thinking and heroic actions of another golfer, Otis Alridge. The two recently reunited on the golf course for the first time since the life-changing event, which unfolded in a matter of seconds.

Chris Honingford, the man whose life was saved, expressed his deep gratitude as he met Alridge face-to-face for the first time since that day.

The incident occurred on August 20, a day Honingford doesn’t remember but one Alridge will never forget. During the game, Honingford, who had recently been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AFib), suddenly collapsed mid-swing on the third hole.

“The heart, just when you have AFib, it beats really fast or really slow. Well, it got to the point where it decided to stop beating, and I was in the middle of a golf swing on the third hole from what I was told,” Honingford explained.

Alridge quickly realized something was terribly wrong and immediately sprang into action.

“I saw a man that needed help, and I knew I had to do something,” Alridge recalled. Without hesitation, he began performing CPR, determined to keep Honingford alive.

“My main concern at that time was keeping a rhythm going in his heart to try to keep blood going to his brain because I knew then that he probably had a heart attack, and there could be some brain damage if I didn’t do what I was doing,” said Alridge, who continued administering CPR for 15 minutes until paramedics arrived.

Honingford was rushed to the hospital, but for Alridge, the days that followed were filled with worry and sleepless nights. “I just wanted to make sure he was okay,” Alridge shared. “I kept wondering if I had done everything right.”

Fortunately, Honingford recovered and was well enough to welcome visitors. During their reunion, Honingford struggled to find words to express his gratitude.

“I don’t think words can express how grateful one could be that they literally saved your life. There is no greater calling, there is no greater thing that you can do for a human being,” Honingford said.

Alridge, who was trained in CPR 50 years ago, had never had to use those skills until that fateful day. “For some reason, it all just came back to me. I just reacted,” he said.

Now, Honingford is back on the golf course, fully aware that he has been given a second chance.

“I do fully understand that I’ve been given a new lease on life,” Honingford said, reflecting on the event that could have ended very differently had it not been for Alridge’s quick response and selfless actions.