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Food pantry staying busy

Thursday, November 06, 2008

The St. Vincent De Paul food pantry has been busy the last few weeks.

With the holidays coming, families in need of food and supplies have been stocking up on grocery items. The food pantry had 21 new families for the month of October.

The families are referred by the East Missouri Action Agency and are sent to either St. Vincent De Paul or the Ministerial Alliance, both located in Farmington. There are about 20 volunteers in all at St. Vincent De Paul food pantry to help hand out food.

Kathy Neiner is in charge of the food pantry and says, “People think its connected with St. Joseph Catholic Church, but in reality its not. They receive food items from United Way and the government, as well as food drives and donations.”

Bob Loughary is a member of the church and a volunteer at the food pantry. “There are a lot of people that come in with cars but some come in wheel chairs or walk there. (Friends) sometimes drive them home with the food they got from the food pantry,” Loughary tells.

More donations come in during the holidays, and with the “Help the Hungry Bake Sale” they are able to receive more money as well as food donations. The bake sale offers a variety of things, such as home-made breads, jams and jellies, cakes, and lots of other home-made baked goods.

There will be about 10 different booths for baked goods from various churches and volunteers around the area at the upcoming bake sale. There will also be breakfast and lunch served, a silent and live auction, theme baskets, a local choir and cooking demonstrations, as well as many other things.

Last year the Help the Hungry Bake Sale raised $14,000 which was divided between the two food pantries. The money raised goes to help needy families with rent or utilities or to help buy food for the pantry.

St. Vincent De Paul Food Pantry is open Tuesday and Friday from 9 a.m. until noon. Families come once a month to get non-perishable food items, paper products and sometimes laundry detergent or bars of soap. Shipments from the St. Louis Food Bank are received twice a month, once is free and the second one the pantry pays for.

The Help the Hungry Bake Sale will be held Nov. 22 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the St. Joseph Catholic Church Gym.