Summer comming to an end.

The summer has yielded much produce donated from The Boston Food Bank, The Commission on Hunger and many individual gardens around the New Bedford area. On week we were so blessed with produce families received multiple fresh vegetables and fruit. With Labor Day fast approaching we are now collecting back to school supplies for the children of our families. Many children will not  be fortunate enough to have new shoes or clothing for the first day of school but it would be wonderful for them to receive much needed school supplies. One fall, St. Mary's Church of New Bedford, collected over one hundred backpacks that we distributed. You wouldn't believe how much it meant to these kids. One little girl after picking out a hot pink backpack told me it was better than Christmas.  So please whatever you might be able to do to help these kids is really appreciated.

Busy Times

Over 300 families  have been coming to the pantry each week.  We have had enough food to distribute thanks to The Boston Food Bank and contributions from many individuals.  Our volunteers start preparing food to be distributed at 9am each Thursday.  Chef Ross starts prepping food for lunch at 8am.  It's intense work by dedicated volunteers that helps those in need.  The food is gratefully accepted 

and distributed by enthusiastic volunteers who care about those they help.

"Respect, Hope and Peace" by those who give and receive are what help make the pantry work so well.   We continue to accept gently used winter coats to distribute during the winter months.

How to Apply for Help

How to apply for help:

Food pantry hours are Thursdays from 11:30-1:30 pm.  

New families are asked to sign in at 11:00 am.

You will need to fill out a questionnaire,

your information is put into the computer and

you are given a key tag.  Each time you receive food,

just swipe your tag to be logged into the computer.

Presently we are distributing to all families each

week as long as we are receiving enough donations

to meet the demand.  This is subject to change

depending on the increased needs of those in

our area.  We are blessed by receiving food from

the Boston Food Bank and the generosity of

so many who care about helping out their

neighbors.  

Busier Than Ever

.

Recently the food pantry has been busier than ever.  One week we had forty one new families sign in to receive help.  There was a loss of 400 jobs in the city and many of those are finding their way to the food pantry doors.  Thankfully donations have been generous.  We are trying to meet the needs of those seeking help by temporarily distributing food to all letters of the alphabet every week instead of every other week.  This means that we have to distribute less food to each family in order to meet the need of so many.  We are now providing over 300 hot meals each week and last week we distributed food to over  330 families. The lines are reaching around the block. 

Thanks to Rock Funeral Home

Thanks to the generosity of Rock Funeral Home canned hams will be distributed on Holy Thursday to food pantry families. Pictured from left to right:Aime Delaney, Jacquelyn Aubuchon, BetteDunn, Paula Briden and Curt Moraes.
The folks at Rock Funeral Home wanted to do something special for Easter and they certainly have helped the food pantry in a big way. Families will be surprised to be receiving such a wonderful gift for their Easter meal. We will also be distributing chickens, fruit pies and various assorted fresh vegetables. A bountiful meal will be enjoyed by those families we reach out to help each week.
This timely donation also counts in the Feinstein Challenge. We are half way through and we are doing great thanks to all of your generosity.  Bishop Stang High School had a cereal drive and collected 900 boxes of assorted cereals to be distributed. Joseph's Apprentices from Bishop Stang will be helping out at the pantry during April school vacation. Each year a dozen students come for the day to work at the pantry, they also provide lunch for the 300 or so we serve on that day. It is always inspiring to have youth help out to serve the needy.
Once a young man asked me how he could get a job like mine. I had to tell him there is no monetary reward but a big spiritual reward to be able to serve. Just ask any of our 50 volunteers what it means to them to be able to help out each week in some way.

Maureen Pride has been a volunteer at the food pantry for 6 years. She manages the kitchen area: ordering all paper products, organizing volunteers and setting up for lunch each week. She went to school to obtain Safe Serve Certification. No job is too small or too large for her. Most Thursdays by closing you can find her in the kitchen putting everything back in it's proper place. Volunteers that work in the kitchen area love Maureen's cheery smile. Clients know her by name. Maureen organized the pantry's participation in the Church's Holiday Fair last year earning over $300 to benefit the pantry. She has been an inspiration to student volunteers helping out on school vacations. She is a retired teacher and has not been idle since her retirement. Always a kind word to those she meets. We are lucky to have her!!

March 1st starts our participation in the Feinstein Challenge. Each year for the months of March and April we count every donation and send in the total amount to the Feinstein Foundation along with hundreds of food pantries around the country. One million dollars is then distributed to all participants proportionate to donations raised. Our share is usually between $300-$500 each year.

This year we have decided to have our Spaghetti Supper/Sock Hop in the fall. Details will follow as soon as we have a definite date.

Since obtaining a donation of a walk-in refrigeration/freezer unit we have been able to distribute fresh produce, eggs and milk on a regular basis. Words cannot express how grateful we are to the Tremblay Bus Company for their on going generosity and dedication to helping the poor. The generosity of many are what enables us to keep our door open each week. Each and every donation is appreciated by someone in need.

Last week the Youth Group from St Francis Church in Acushnet, MA. helped during their school vacation by donating their time. The did everything from washing dishes to carrying out groceries for the elderly. Young faces are always appreciated along with their enthusiasm.

I wish it was possible to thank everyone for their donations of food, money and time. Please come to visit the pantry any Thursday you might find yourself in our area.

" It is the responsibility of all to help the poor" God Bless. Paula, Director

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Thanks to many donations of gently used winter coats we have given out over 300

coats this winter. Many people waiting outside without the proper clothing have

been appreciative of your donations. We will continue to distribute coats during the next 2 months. The Knights of Columbus provided over 200 new coats to children ages 4-12

just before Christmas. Last month we served 1,314 lunches. The new year will continue to

present many challenges and with your support it makes it possible to keep our door

open each week. God Bless and Happy New Year.