First Choice

Street Hope Alive | For the past 12 years, Street Hope Alive has been building trust and credibility in inner-city Paterson with youth and their families through a variety of activities, mentoring programs and community events.  Our goal is to promote personal development, mental health, spiritual renewal and community restoration.  The under-resourced demographic we serve is 90% African American and 10% Hispanic children ages newborn to 17 years old, living in the 4th ward and surrounding communities. 

What we do: 

For the past six summers, Street Hope Alive has sponsored and sent hundreds of kids to Inspire Sports Camps, a 6-day sleep away camp. The camp experience exposes the kids to life outside Paterson and many confirm their desire to continue growing their relationship with Jesus. 

In our effort to help the children thrive spiritually and academically, we provide tuition scholarships for them to attend Dawn Treader Christian School. These scholarships also inside school supplies and uniforms. We also provide scholarships for the kids to participate in a Christian after school program during week. Throughout the year, as opportunities arise, volunteers take our kids to Saturday church service and out for day trips. 

With support from ministry partners, we have an annual Christmas celebration which has recently been expanded to also include a Easter and Thanksgiving event that are held outside the Good Shepard Mission on Broadway. Every child that attends the Christmas event receives a wrapped gift. We average 800 children with their families. Event volunteers help to make this celebration a very special and memorable occasion. 

Street Hope Alive runs an Art’s Therapy Mentorship Program which we began at the start of this past summer at the Arts Factory.  The program has been incredible for encouraging our kids to use their painting skill and talent, which they are so excited to do. Moreover, the studio is a place where all of the kids we serve feel very safe leading to their willingness to open up. Imagine, our kids are learning to communicate their thoughts and  

feelings. We are teaching them God’s word and helping them work through difficult current and past situations, so that they may experience the hopeful future you and I enjoy. 

First Choice Women’s Resource Centers | Founded in 1985, First Choice Women’s Resource Centers’ mission is to protect the unborn by empowering women. The 9,000 women, babies and students who come to us each year come to our centers in Jersey City, Montclair, Morristown, Newark and Plainfield, or participate in our Real Talk sexual risk avoidance presentations in their public high school. With an estimated 13,100 abortions performed each year in our service area, we are called to rescue babies and serve their moms with care and compassion.

Some of the many services First Choice provides include pregnancy tests and individual peer counseling, ultrasound exams to medically confirm pregnancy, screening for sexually transmitted diseases, post-abortion counseling and the Earn While You Learn parenting program. The love, grace and truth of the gospel is shared with our clients as the Lord provides the opportunity.