St. Vincent DePaul ministry celebrates new Bread for Life mobile food pantry
NC GAZETTE / WBRT RADIO
STAFF REPORT
Monday, Sept. 27, 2021 — The Bread for Life Food Pantry officially dedicated its new mobile food pantry Monday afternoon at the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral.
Monday was the feast day of St. Vincent DePaul, the inspiration to the St. Joseph parish ministry by the same name that follows St Vincent’s example of serving the poor and less fortunate.
The Bread for Life Food Pantry is a ministry of the parish’s out-reach ministry that includes the St. Vincent DePaul Mission Store, and the mobile pantry continues the food pantry’s work to provide food to those in the community in need.
Speaking prior to the ribbon-cutting, Executive Director Chris Hoven told the crowd at St. Joe that the mobile food pantry continues to mission that began years ago when the food pantry began.
Since the pantry opened in 2017, it has formed a partnership with Feeding American. It serves 400 to 600 families per month, providing them with 38-41 pounds of food per person per month.
Last year, the pandemic challenged the organization to figure a way to get food to those in need who have transportation issues. The organization opened a satellite pantry in New Haven.
The idea of a mobile food pantry was created as a way to help those without transportation. The converted RV’s first day of operation is Monday, Oct. 4th, where it plans stops at Bloomfield Baptist Church and St. Michael Catholic Church in Fairfield.
A tentative schedule is planned for three days a week, with room to expand the units schedule as needed.
The RV conversion to mobile food pantry was made possible by the generosity and hard work of many volunteers as well as a number of local businesses, including Lowes, Corvins Furniture & Flooring, Buzicks Lumber & Home Center and Case’s Camper Services. Donations to support the RV’s renovation also came from The Sunflower Fund, the parishioners of St. Joseph; Tri-County United Way; and the Salvation Army.
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