Ventnor Community Church collected and distributed 165 backpacks to area schools.
VENTNOR After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Ventnor Community Church this year collected 168 backpacks and school supplies during its annual Backpack Drive to benefit local schools. The drive exceeded its 2020 record of 25 backpacks collected.
The backpacks were donated to the Ventnor Educational Community Complex, Champion Academy of Galloway Township, The Boys and Girls Club of Atlantic City, and Atlantic Cape Community College in Mays Landing.
Ventnor Community Church is celebrating its 100th Anniversary this year, and in August, hosted a special fundraising event to raise money for repairs to the historic church that was severely damaged in 2012 during Hurricane Sandy. The church was not eligible for any Sandy relief funds and has been in the process of getting major repairs done over the past 10 years, but much more still needs to be done. In addition to the repairs, the entire church needs to become ADA compliant.
Founded in 1922, Ventnor Community Church is nondenominational and has a long standing mission to provide community leadership and spiritual guidance in Christian worship. It is affiliated with Waters Edge of South Jersey, led by Pastor Dean Bult, which serves as The Church for the Unchurched. Waters Edge's mission is to lead people, who wish to practice spiritually but do not fully identify with the Christian faith, into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
The church relies on donations to further its long-standing mission of community leadership as well as to provide spiritual guidance in Christian worship within its historic walls. The church aims to raise $50,000 for repairs to the building. Donations to its $50,000 goal to fund repairs may be made at its GoFundMe page, www.gofundme.com.
