By DON STINE
The prayers at the Madonna House in Neptune were recently answered when a generous donor paid off the charitable organization’s $130,000 mortgage.
“I was always praying not to have a mortgage and what a burden has been lifted off my shoulders,” Madonna House founder Rebecca Blonski said earlier this week.
Blonski said she was struggling to pay off three separate mortgages and the pressure was on when one of the privately-held mortgages needed to be paid off for the Madonna House property at 1401 Seventh Ave. She purchased the property in 1988.
The 10,000-square-foot building houses the organization’s thrift shop and the operations for the charity. There is also an adjacent garden.
Blonski said the woman who paid off her mortgage, who wishes to remain anonymous, has been following her organization’s work for some time and that she lives at the Jersey Shore.The facility, which operates solely on donations, has been in danger of closing several times over the years due to financial difficulties.
“We were on the verge of getting a new mortgage and then this woman paid everything off and it was an answer to my prayers. We never had to take out a new mortgage,” she said.
Blonski said that Rev. Monsignor James J. Brady and his congregation at St. Dominic’s Roman Catholic Church in Brick were also very generous and helped pay down some of the mortgage in advance.
“Father Brady also arranged for us to get a mortgage at the Ocean First Bank and bank officials there were also very helpful and generous. But now we do not need to take out a new mortgage. So everything is now paid off. This is a real answer to my prayers,” she said.
Madonna House serves women and children by providing clothing, juvenile furniture, toys, infant formula, diapers, small household items, and other life necessities completely free of charge.
Founded by Blonski in 1987 and incorporated in 1992, Madonna House serves children ranging from those who are homeless to children of families faced with temporary financial difficulty. Children are referred by local and county welfare departments, hospitals, social service organizations, the Visiting Nurse Association, professionals, schools, police departments, municipal courts, churches, and individuals.
“We help about 3,000 to 5,000 people each year and we ask nothing in return- we give everything away. Our only source of income is our thrift shop and donations. Our staff is all volunteer and it is out of pure love for our fellow man that we operate. Ninety-nine percent of the people coming here are very needy,” Blonski said.
The families and children who come to Madonna House are diverse in ethnicity, cultural background, race, religion, and beliefs. Madonna House is a Roman Catholic religious association, accepting people of all multiplicity.
