Summer Heat Arrives

Pantry volunteers and visitors braved near record heat this week for the distribution of cereal, assorted canned goods, yogurt, orange juice, chicken, onions, scallions, squash, kale, and eggs as well as a good lunch. Thank you to everyone who helped keep things "cool" yesterday.

Have a safe summer and please feel free to come by any Thursday to help out, even for an hour or two, you can make a difference.

July Food Deliveries

Upcoming food delivery dates and times for this month are Tuesday July 12 at 12:15, Thursday July 14 at 10:00, Thursday July 21 at 10:00, and Thursday July 28 at 10:00.

Unloading and storing the cases of food and produce received in these deliveries is vital to the operation of the Saint Anthony Food Pantry. If you are available at any of the delivery times for the month of July, or if you can help at the food distribution times on Thursdays, let us know by calling Paula, the Food Pantry Coordinator, at 508-993-1691.

Please note that you can check for upcoming deliveries and other pantry activity by looking at our calendar here or using the link under "Basic Pantry Information" in the menu on the right.

Youth Group Visits to Help Out

School is out for summer and the St Anthony's Youth Group was at the pantry to help out. Their support is very much appreciated. They all have amazing energy and enthusiasm.

Your help would be appreciated as well. Please feel free to stop in any Thursday and see for yourself what is happening, it may inspire you to participate in some way. May God Bless You.

Generous Supporters and Dedicated Volunteers

From June 2010 thru May 2011 the Food Pantry has given out 40,309 bags of groceries and served 10,211 lunches! This would not have been possible without the generous donations of many persons here at Saint Anthony's and at other nearby parishes such as St. Mary’s, St. John Neumann, St Francis, St. John’s and Our Lady of Fatima. This would also not have been possible without the 700 volunteer hours a month it takes to keep the pantry running.

Hot Time, Almost Summer in the City

Though it's not quite summer here in New Bedford it sure has been warm. In spite of the heat the pantry volunteers and visitors still have time to smile. For yesterday's visitors the pantry had cereal, assorted canned goods, lowfat or whole milk, juice, bratwurst or sausage, crackers, potato salad, onions, potatoes, eggs as well as a good lunch served with ice tea.

Please feel free to come by any Thursday to help out, even for an hour or two, you can make a difference. Please remember that we are no longer accepting any used items. You can bring your used clothing and household donations directly to Planet Earth, Savers or Gifts for Giving. Empty egg cartons and used plastic bags are always needed and of course any non perishable items you may have to spare are always appreciated.

Thanks again for all you do to help. And please stop by the pantry booth this weekend during the St. Anthony Feast.

June Food Deliveries

Upcoming food delivery dates and times for this month are Wednesday June 8 at 1:15, Tuesday June 14 at 12:15, Wednesday June 15 at 1:15, and Wednesday June 22 at 3:15.

Unloading and storing the cases of food and produce received in these deliveries is vital to the operation of the Saint Anthony Food Pantry. If you are available at any of the delivery times for the month of June, or at the food distribution times on Thursdays, let us know by calling Paula, the Food Pantry Coordinator, at 508-993-1691.

Please note that you can check for upcoming deliveries and other pantry activity by looking at our calendar here or using the link under "Basic Pantry Information" in the menu on the right.

An Update on Recent and Upcoming Events

Thanks to everyone who contributed to make the Spaghetti Supper/Sock Hop put on by the Food Pantry and the Youth Group a great success. It made for a fantastic evening of good food and great company.

This was a wonderful year for donations to the food pantry during the Feinstein Challenge. Each dollar donated and each item received during the challenge counts as a "dollar" towards a share in the Million Dollars distributed by the the Feinstein Foundation and this year we collected 33,757 in "dollars" during the months of March and April. We have been participating since 2006 when we collected 4,085 "dollars" and each year we have surpassed the previous year thanks to your generosity.

May 21 is Aviation Day at New Bedford Airport and we will be setting up a display table with information so that Aviation Day visitors can learn more about our food pantry. We will be selling candy bars and also have a jar available for donations. Last year 7,000 people attended this event and we are lucky to have been invited. Please stop by to visit us if you are there on that fun filled day!

Please remember that we are no longer accepting any used items. Please bring your used clothing and household donations directly to Planet Earth, Savers or Gifts for Giving.

Empty egg cartons and used plastic bags are always needed and of course any non perishable items you may have to spare are always appreciated. Toilet paper as always is one of the most requested items. Every roll donated is appreciated. Thanks again for all you do to help those less fortunate. Your donations mean a lot.

For further information on participating in the pantry or on donating to the pantry please contact Paula, the Food Pantry Coordinator at 508-993-1691.