Westfield, NJ – At a time when many organizations have reduced or discontinued their cancer care transportation services due to COVID-19 concerns, the Hope Heals ministry within Westfield’s Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity is filling a void by providing rides to and from chemotherapy sessions for patients in need.

Hope Heals, which is the only initiative of its kind operating in North Jersey during the pandemic, runs on a network of volunteers who step up whenever a call goes out that someone needs a ride. The program serves cancer patients in Westfield and the surrounding area, with many referrals coming from a nearby medical center in Summit. Demand for the service has increased significantly now that similar initiatives are suspended, but Hope Heals’ volunteers have managed to accommodate everyone who has asked for assistance.

“Our volunteers want to make a difference during the pandemic,” said Patricia Martin, director and cofounder of Hope Heals. “This is what being a Catholic community is all about. People are doing what they’re called to do, what they were baptized to do. They’re stepping up and affirming the Catholic mission through Hope Heals.”

Nearly all the volunteers, including Martin and Deacon Keith Gibbons, Hope Heals’ assistant director and cofounder, are cancer survivors themselves. This means they empathize with what the cancer patients are going through, allowing them to offer emotional support and resources guidance. They are always willing to lend a hand. In fact, when Hope Heals recently needed new volunteers to meet the growing demand for the service, numerous parishioners started giving their free time to keep the ministry going.

“The support our volunteers provide to cancer patients is really critical,” said Deacon Keith. “I had a big support group when I was going through treatment, but I met some people who were doing it alone, and that was very sad to me. Nobody should be alone while going through all the mental and physical challenges of cancer. That’s why Hope Heals is here for the community.”

But Hope Heals does not just provide transportation. When needed, the ministry’s volunteers support cancer patients by supplying home and lawn care, delivering meals, and assisting with various errands. They also pray with patients who request spiritual support.

“I hope people look back years from now and see we fostered the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ and the Catholic tradition through Hope Heals,” said Fr. Anthony Randazzo, pastor of the Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity. “For Catholics, true living is giving in Christ, and Hope Heals is an example of that. It’s an organized act of love.”

To learn more about Hope Heals and the Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity, visit https://www.htrcc.org/.

About the Archdiocese of Newark
The Archdiocese of Newark serves approximately 1.3 million Catholics who reside in the 511 square miles of the four counties it serves: Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Union counties. Comprised of 212 Catholic parishes and 74 primary and secondary Catholic schools, the Archdiocese is shepherded by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R. He was appointed Archbishop of Newark on November 7, 2016, and elevated to Cardinal by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, on November 19, 2016. Cardinal Tobin was installed as Archbishop of Newark on January 6, 2017. To learn more, visit www.rcan.org.