4 Harrison and East Newark Nonprofits to Know

Harrison and East Newark are two of Hudson County, NJ’s smallest towns, but neighbors still show up for each other through long-running nonprofits and community groups. Our team rounded up four organizations based in Harrison and East Newark, from a free camp for people with disabilities to Lions vision care, a parish food pantry and a busy Elks lodge. Every detail below comes from each group’s own site. Give one a follow, volunteer or donate this season.

1. Camp Fatima of New Jersey

Camp Fatima of New Jersey is a private, nonsectarian nonprofit with a Harrison mailing address at P.O. Box 654. Founded in the late 1960s and incorporated in 1971, it offers two one-week overnight sessions for children ages 5 to 21 with disabilities and four adult weekends for ages 21 and up. The camp serves more than 100 children and 60 adults a year at no charge, funded by private donations and run entirely by volunteers.

2. Harrison Lions Club

Harrison Lions Club has served the town since 1951 as part of Lions Clubs International. Members focus on vision care, offering eye exams and eyeglasses to neighbors who qualify, plus scholarships for Harrison High School students and sponsorship of a Little League team. The club raises about $10,000 a year for local charities, including Camp Fatima, and meets at the Harrison East Newark Elks at 408 Harrison Avenue.

3. Holy Cross Parish

Holy Cross Parish serves Holy Cross Church at 16 Church Square in Harrison and St. Anthony Church at 409 North 2nd Street in East Newark. The parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society helps with the food pantry and outreach to neighbors in need, and the church has partnered on community food distributions. Contact the rectory through the parish site or at admin@holycrossharrison.org.

4. Harrison-East Newark Elks Lodge No. 2326

Harrison-East Newark Elks Lodge No. 2326 was instituted in 1965 and has about 275 members at 406-408 Harrison Avenue. The lodge meets on the second and fourth Thursdays and supports local youth and veterans through Elks National Foundation grants. Its lodge hall is a regular venue for community food distributions, and the lodge sponsors scholarship winners from the Elks family.

More in Harrison and East Newark

Plan a day out with our guide to things to do in Harrison and East Newark and our picks for restaurants in Harrison and East Newark. Looking for more ways to help nearby? See our lists of Kearny nonprofits and Jersey City nonprofits.

Support Close to Home

These groups run on volunteers, donors and neighbors who show up. Know a Harrison or East Newark organization that deserves a shout? Nominate it in the Best of Hudson County 2026 awards, and subscribe to our free newsletter for weekly local picks.

Featured image: Camp Fatima of New Jersey campers and volunteers. Photo: Camp Fatima / website.