No matter what the weather is like, people need to eat, so no matter what the climate, volunteers around the Diocese of Gary collect, sort, bag and distribute groceries, household goods, gift cards and even seasonal gifts to the needy.
On Dec. 17, the temperature was bone chilling, and the wind was gusting as more than a dozen volunteers cheerfully distributed food from God’s Groceries Food Pantry at St. Mary in Crown Point to dozens of individuals and families just a week before Christmas.
“It really does warm you up (to help others),” said Jeff Lucas as he carried pre-sorted bags from the pantry storage room through a garage to waiting cars, where other volunteers loaded them into the back seat as the name was checked off.
“We don’t turn anyone away the first time they come, and all we ask is their name and number of family members so we can add them to our list and prepare enough bags next month,” said Megan Henry, a God’s Groceries veteran. “It doesn’t matter where you live, and we don’t ask for proof of need – that’s between you and God,” she said.
The pantry is open from 8 to 10 a.m. on the third Saturday of every month at St. Mary. “We never miss a month, even during the COVID-19 pandemic we were here every month,” said Henry. “We knew that our clients needed us more than ever.”
The volunteers at God’s Groceries don’t expect a post-holiday shortage. “This church is generous; the goal of our ministry is to reach out to the community, and they support us,” Lucas added.
“Most of what we distributed today came from the annual Christmas Food Drive at our St. Mary Catholic Community School – some we delivered to Catholic Charities for their food pantry, and the rest stayed right here. We even have Girl Scouts who make us ‘birthday bags’ that are filled with everything to make a cake, from a cake pan to candles, and if a client has a birthday in their family that month, we add that to their food.”
Other extras are a pleasant surprise, too. “Depending on the season, we offer Christmas wrapping paper and greeting cards, we have a coat drive in November and December, and we add other household items and toiletries when available,” said Henry.
Bags are filled by other volunteers the night before each distribution – sized for 1-3 family members, 4-6 people and 7 and more.
“I enjoy helping,” said volunteer Patty Lucas. The people are grateful and happy, and it makes my heart feel good.”
At Catholic Charities Diocese of Gary, a food pantry is maintained year-round at the East Chicago office, open monthly on a Friday from 9-11 a.m. Even more food is distributed at mobile pantry sites, said food pantry manager Tina Gunnum, a Portage resident who joined Catholic Charities in November with experience operating a Hobart church’s food pantry.
She is not sure if donations will wane after the holidays, but she is optimistic. “Like with the loaves and fishes, you can’t outgive God,” she said. “Some volunteers were worried recently that we were giving clients too much food, but then we got an influx of supplies from a food drive at Bishop Noll Institute, and our shelves were stocked again.” Donations from the annual Hunger Hike are used to purchase needed items from the Food Bank of NWI, Gunnum added.
Mobile pantry stops are regularly made at Holy Name of Jesus, in Cedar Lake, Our Lady of Consolation in Merrillville, and a senior citizen complex in Hammond. “We served 427 individuals in December, with one bag of groceries or two for larger families,” Gunnum said. “We don’t judge; we help people. We even make home deliveries, if necessary.
“You aren’t just giving people a can of vegetables or a jar of sauce. This is pure joy for those who witness it; you are offering hope to those who receive the food,” noted Gunnum. “We provided gift bags to 75 veterans recently, and one of them cried (as he thanked us). I thanked him, and told him that it was because of his service that we have the freedom to help people.”
To learn more about Catholic Charities food services, email pantry@catholic.charities.org or call 397-5803, ext. 205.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference at Holy Spirit in Winfield doesn’t expect to have empty shelves in the new year, said volunteer Darlene Marchina, because they have a variety of donors and a network of suppliers.
“If we get low, we put a note in the church bulletin or send out a Flocknote, and we get a good response from our parishioners,” she said. “Before Christmas, we put out our list of items needed for the 100 families we give to, and we had an anonymous donor provided 100 of each item ‘in the name of St. Nicholas,’” Marchina noted. “Some parishioners donate every month, and it is easier now, because they can donate through Flocknote just by clicking a button.”
Available to the needy from all communities, the Holy Spirit Food Pantry is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“We are also lucky to have monetary donations and an arrangement with the local Save-A-Lot store,” Marchina explained. “We place an order for what we need among our 11 staples on a Tuesday, and it’s ready to pick up on Saturday. We spend over $2,000 a month.
“We also get supplies from the Food Bank of NWI – depending on what is available. It may be fish, nuggets, eggs, sweet potatoes or grapes,” she added.
At St. Joseph church in the Holy Family Parish of LaPorte, the food pantry established in 1979 with $500 in seed money and operated by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference was getting “close to empty” even before Christmas, but was hoping to benefit from end-of-the-year giving.
“It can be slim pickings, but we give out what we have,” said Suzanne Sharp, conference president. “We get a lot of help from the U.S. Postal Workers Food Drive each year.”
Housed in the former parish school building, the pantry is open from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Mondays, open to all LaPorte and Fish Lake community members, while a clothing annex offers free clothes to all comers from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Mondays and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays.
“We have the best group of volunteers, so dedicated and caring,” Sharp said. “Sometimes I’m not sure how we do it, but it always comes together. The price was too high to give out hams this Christmas, so we provided food vouchers to let people buy what they wanted and needed.”
A number of other parishes in the Diocese of Gary also offer food pantries, soup kitchens and other resources to those in need.