As many of you know, Catholic Social Services has multiple fixed and mobile food pantries that serve needy and hungry individuals and families. Recently, an elderly woman who lives alone called requesting a food pantry. For those who are unfamiliar with the term ‘food pantry,’ it is the amount of food that typically lasts an individual or family for a week.
We are blessed having dedicated volunteers who sort incoming food onto our pantry shelves, and other volunteers who pack the sorted food into brown grocery bags to create ‘ready to go pantries.’ They are marked ‘for a family of one,’ ‘two,’ ‘three,’ ‘four,’ etc., depending on the number in the household.
We have still other volunteers who add, prior to the pick-up, perishable items to the pre-packed pantries such as meat, milk, cheese and eggs.
When a needy individual or family comes to us asking for a food pantry, once we know the number inside the household, the appropriate-sized pantry is given away. We are likewise blessed to have volunteers who help load the groceries into their cars.
The woman who called explained that although she had been granted a pantry, the three people who regularly give her rides around town were either sick or unavailable. We could tell from the tone of her voice that this elderly lady was desperate and in need of her pantry. "Do you deliver?" We generally do not deliver but can make exceptions on a case by case basis (remember last week’s Seedlings?).
After telling Curt Krueger about the situation, he headed out the door to her home with the food pantry. After returning, he informed me that her home was neat and tidy. He was met at the door by the grateful woman who did not let him leave before saying, "Curt, here is a gift for you and Father. Don’t open it until you are with Father!" She put the present in a plastic grocery bag and tied the handles tight.
After returning to the office Curt showed me the bag and related the story. He respected the wishes of the elderly lady and had not peeked inside. Once opened we found an opened box of 20-count orange and spice flavored tea bags with six bags left in the box. It was the best gift she could give us, reminding me of the ‘widow’s mite’ (Mk 12:41-44).
We are very grateful for those who support our food pantry operations monetarily, by their volunteerism, donations of food or a combination of the above. Without your help, we would not be able to help the countless individuals and families that come to us on a daily basis.
Please remember that when the Advent, Christmas, Lenten and Easter seasons are over, our food pantries start to become a little thin. Please remember us spiritually with your prayers and penances, materially with your donations of perishable and non-perishable food items, and financially according to your means so we can continue to assist those who come to us in need of food. Is it tea time yet? The Twelve Apostles present at the division of the loaves, pray for us!!
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