July 27, 2023 -- St Joseph Food Pantry Report

• 114 households participated in the Healthy Pantry Initiative at St. Joseph’s by selecting items from a limited selection of fresh produce donated to our pantry. The produce includied onions, collards, squash, cucumbers, kale, and tomatoes. Volunteers assisted guests filling and carrying bags to cars for incapacitated family members & neighbors without transportation. 

• Households where food is delivered by friends or family members are not included in the Healthy Pantry Totals because these households are not on site to personally participate in the selection of healthy foods for their boxes, nor do they have access to tasting samples.

• Bonnie invited guests to choose a dessert from the table of pastries donated by local bakeries.

• Barbara and Christine welcomed guests to the sharing table where donated clothes and shoes for men, women, and children as well as household items were displayed.

• Catholic Charities offered diapers to children and adults who needed them. 

• Volunteers from Sharing Tree of St. Marks waited at the exit door with bags full of toiletries and cleaning supplies to distribute to the first 70 households served at the Pantry. 

• Josue, one of the school age children who volunteer their time during the summer months, served water to thirsty guests, in the soaring afternoon temperatures.

This week we will begin to share stories from volunteers who work in many different capacities at St. Joseph’s Food Pantry:



Hello! This is Kevin Gannon and I have the privilege of assisting all of the wonderful people at St. Joseph’s food Pantry. Last week, I was helping Jeremy in the parking lot. It’s really incredible, meeting and assisting our neighbors in need. I don’t necessarily have an opportunity to talk to many people because I am usually in the back packing food boxes or loading them into cars. Boy, the parking lot really puts things in perspective. Last week, I was helping a very nice woman park her car (so sorry, I didn’t ask her name). She thanked me for my help and told me she was suffering from a terrible migraine headache. I could tell she was in pain, and she had to take medicine before she could even get out of the car. She said she gets them all the time, but she just has to keep going to exist. She told me she had surgery, but it didn’t help. My dear late mother-in-law had migraines and I remember all those years ago how she suffered! Anyway, I made sure that I helped this sweet lady back into her car and how proud and inspirational she was to me. She sincerely thanked me. It is touching moments like this that keep all of our volunteers coming back to St. Joseph’s where we encounter Christ in our neighbors.