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Health & Fitness

West Essex Faith Communities Celebrate Thanksgiving Interfaith Service

There were handbells ringing, children and adult choirs singing, musicians playing trumpet and clarinet and even someone beating an African drum.
The faith communities in the West Essex area joined together Tuesday night at the First Presbyterian Church at Caldwell for this year's interfaith Thanksgiving service, joyously celebrated this year with a variety of music and prayers.
The service is held every year and organized by the West Essex Ministerial Association, which represents houses of worship in the Caldwells, Roseland and Essex Fells. The interdenominational service rotates to a different house of faith each year.
This year, members of the West Essex First Aid Squad were honored at the front of the sanctuary to recognize their service and to acknowledge a new $33,000 generator that was recently installed at the squad's headquarters on Bloomfield Avenue.
Captain David Black, of the West Essex First Aid Squad, said money raised from the houses of faith through the West Essex Ministerial Association, along with donations from local Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs, were instrumental in paying for the generator.
He said members of the first aid squad realized the need for a generator during emergencies that included Superstorm Sandy. With the addition of the generator, the squad can now offer emergency power to those with life support medical equipment and a safe warming station for emergency responders in the area.
He noted that all of the squad members are volunteers who respond to 2,800 calls a year and that the squad is available for local emergencies every day of the year, around the clock.
Leading this year's service was Pastor Viv Rodeffer of the Caldwell United Methodist Church, though all of the clergy who attended took part in the service.
There were representatives from Congregation Agudath Israel of Caldwell, Notre Dame Catholic Church of North Caldwell, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Roseland, Saint Aloysius Catholic Church in Caldwell, Sts. Nicholas, Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Roseland, St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Essex Fells, Crane's Mill and others.
All of the money collected during the offering portion of the service was donated to the Caldwell Food Pantry.

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