By Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta

Holy Bones are much more than an all-natural, preservative free yummy dog biscuit. A purchase of a bag provides meaningful skills, training, and employment opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities who are ready and willing to work. 

It all began about a year ago, according to Marie Cioletti, the director who oversees the production of Holy Bones, along with Father John Ahern, which are baked and packaged in the kitchens of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Pompton Lakes. 

Pat Carnevale, who was originally from the parish, had moved to Delaware but returned to Pompton Lakes. While in Delaware, she volunteered for a church who was doing something similar, so she gave Cioletti the idea and they got involved together. With a grant, they were able to get the kitchen materials needed and by September 2022, they were off and running. 

Cioletti, together with an advisory board made up of Thomas Abazia, Julie Tatti, and Suzanne Freedman, chose the name and the logo, which was created by a graphic artist named Cindy Keegan. 

“We had a lot of people who were able to volunteer their talents,” Cioletti said, who has worked as a special ed teacher at Paterson Public schools for 38 years as a learning consultant. “I’m a special ed teacher. I know nothing about business.” 

But knowing nothing about business was not a problem for Cioletti. The William Paterson University’s business department assisted Cioletti via Zoom meetings. “I can’t tell you how helpful they are,” she said. “The professor was really excited about us doing this.” 

The employees with disabilities are ages 21 up to 60s. They come from Ringwood, Wanaque, Haskell, Pompton Lakes, and Lincoln Park. They work in the church kitchen by measuring flour, putting labels on the bags, and weighing them to make sure they have eight ounces of product in each bag. “They do everything,” Cioletti said. “They clean up. They do the dishes. They put everything away and get set up for the next day. They use scales. They are learning a lot of skills. If you look at their abilities, they can do many things well. We try to meet the needs of each individual baker based on their abilities.”

And if modifications are needed for a person to be a good baker, it is done. For example, the bones can be traced through parchment paper. 

“The bakers show up every day,” said Cioletti. “They don’t take mental health days. They’re really happy to be

productive. If we go to an event, I take them with me so they could see how important their jobs are. They’re excellent workers.” 

The bones come in three flavors, peanut butter, chicken, and sweet potato. “Our best seller is peanut butter,” said Cioletti. “Sweet potato if the dogs have stomach issues. It’s a milder taste.” 

While only six months into the business, Cioletti said they definitely want to expand by either making treats for cats or more flavors for dogs. 

Holy Bones are available in the Parish Center Office Building located at 31 Pompton Ave., Pompton Lakes. Offices are open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed for lunch, noon to 1 p.m. On Friday, the offices are open from 9 a.m. to noon. Offices are closed on weekends. 

Dog bones and small bits are sold in eight-ounce bags for $10 per bag. Since there are no preservatives, they must be stored in the freezer. 

For more information, visit www.holy-bones.org.