Update on the SCL Parish Food Pantry

We chose to shut down our parish food pantry in mid-March.  Our volunteers are all in the high-risk category, and wisely they chose to stay home.  We contacted food pantries and determined that for our regular clients the Affton Food Pantry was close by and a good fit.  We donated to AFP a sizeable amount of food with the understanding that they would serve the folks who ordinarily would be served by SCL.

As you are painfully aware this is a slow-motion disaster.  We will send all the remaining food in our pantry to AFP as the need is even greater now with so many people on furlough, laid off or unemployed.

Many have inquired what they might do aid the hungry.  Our suggestion is this: 

donate cash to our pantry  (https://www.osvonlinegiving.com/630/Home/NewQuickGive)

or donate cash to Affton Food Pantry  (https://give.cornerstone.cc/AfftonCFP)

Addresses for mail in donations:

St. Catherine Laboure Parish: 9740 Sappington Rd     63128   314-843-3245

Affton Christian Food Pantry:  4960 Heege Road          63123   314-580-3138

This is both safer and more efficient.  No need to shop, which carries some risk, and the pantry can determine what they need and buy in bulk and from the food bank which multiplies the impact of your dollars donated.  If you donate to SCL, we will periodically send a check from here to them.  If you donate to them mention in your note that you are affiliated with SCL. 

Our SCL St. Vincent de Paul conference is continuing to help hungry neighbors in need with vouchers to Shnucks, along with offering rent, utility, prescription and even mortgage assistance.  They too need your support and will be helping Neighbors in Need.

When our pantry can open again, we will be in need of donations to fill our shelves, but for the time being we ask you to consider our suggestion. 

Thanks for your generosity to the meal a month program, for direct donations to our pantry and to the parish poor fund.  How we help has changed, but our commitment to help remains strong because of you and your generosity. 

If you need assistance, you can get information at: http://afftonchristianfoodpantry.com/need-help

God Bless.

Fr. Jim and the SCL Parish Staff