St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry
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Are you feeling called to more practically serve those in need, but don't know how to fit it into your busy schedule? Volunteering with the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry is the perfect fit!
The first thing to know? The time commitment to assist is very small and extremely flexible, but the impact is huge! Seriously, if you're the kind of person who wants to add service to your life but have almost no time...being a part of the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry will be the perfect fit for you.
The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry provides food and other essential items for those in need in our local area. We are neighbors helping neighbors, offering to meet not just physical needs, but also friendship in tough situations. With assistance from St. Denis and St. Kateri churches, we run a fully-stocked food pantry behind the back of St. Denis-St. Columba School.
These three words sum up the work of the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry: WE HELP PEOPLE! When a family is in need, we help!
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How can I get involved?
We're glad you asked! There are three main ways to get involved:
- Donate! Our weekly needs are listed in the bulletin, but we accept any non-perishable items (which can be dropped off in the door to the left when you enter the church) or monetary donations (which can be placed in the poor box when you walk into the doors of the church).
- Volunteer! We pair each of our clients with a volunteer who meets them at the food pantry each week to pick up their items. The pickups are made around your schedule, so you can easily fit an appointment in on your way home from work, while you're running errands, etc. It's a few minute commitment that allows you to tangibly reach out and help your neighbors in need!
- Pray! Most importantly, please commit to praying for our clients and our generous donors. We dedicate all of this work in Jesus' name in serving like He taught us.
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THE STORY OF ST. VINCENT DE PAUL FOOD PANTRY
In 1980, to help families in need in our area, the parishioners of St. Denis/ St. Columba church banded together to distribute Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter baskets. By 1981, the first food pantry was organized in the basement of a private home. Eventually a pantry was built in the back of St. Denis-St. Columba School. In 1998, Blessed Kateri, now St. Kateri Tekakwitha, joined the other two parishes. The food pantry was remodeled in 2005 and blessed by then Monsignor Colacicco.
This organization brings together volunteers from the parishes of St. Denis, St. Columba, and St. Kateri and other members of the community to fulfill corporal works of mercy by acts of charity to others. We do this primarily by helping people in genuine need of supplemental food assistance. There is no requirement for us to provide assistance, other than to have a genuine need and live within the geographic boundaries of our three parishes. We are an equal opportunity provider.
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how we help clients
In an average month, we help approximately 92 families, which includes 74 children, 175 adults, and 28 seniors.
Each client is paired up with one of our members to meet them at our pantry to give out supplemental food to help them during rough times. Once we have provided the family with food, we try to help in other ways, like pointing them to resources in our area to help them in other ways. Our members often develop a relationship with our clients and can sometimes be a comforting friend when they have no one else.
Non-perishable food is donated by the parish community and by organizations conducting food drives. We purchase meat, dairy and other essentials from the Regional Food Bank of New York on a monthly basis. At Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, we provide our clients with a grocery store gift card they can use for their holiday meal. We also provide a gift card at Christmas for all children under 18 years old so the parent/guardian can purchase a special gift for the child. We collect school supplies in late summer and have available a selection of coats, hats, and gloves for needy children in the winter.
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need assistance?
We would love to serve you!
If you are in need of food and other care items, please do not hesitate to reach out. It would truly be our honor to add you to our client list.
Learn More
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Matthew 25:35That verse right there is the reason we do what we do: "When I was hungry, you gave me food." When we feed our neighbors in need, we recognize Christ in them and serve them in His name and example.
Want to join us as a volunteer? Visit our website to learn more and help us feed the hungry as Jesus taught us. -
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