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FOOD DONATIONS NEEDED!
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NEW DISTRIBUTION TiME
Saturdays from 8:45am-11:00am
FOOD PANTRY RECEIVES GRANT
As the one-year anniversary of the Food Pantry was approaching, it received a very nice gift in the form of a $6,000 grant from the Capital Area Food Bank. As stated in the award letter, they are extremely grateful to our pantry as one of their partners who continue to do amazing and admirable work to distribute healthy and nutritious food in our community. The $6,000 will equate to roughly 10,000 pounds of non-perishable food items to be distributed in the next six weeks. This is the second grant received from the Food Bank, as St. Jude’s received a $9000.00 grant this past January.
The first food pantry distribution was held on May 9, 2020 and served 121 needy individuals. Distribution has occurred every Saturday morning since then, except for the day after Christmas. Approximately 15,000 bags of food items and 10,000 boxes of produce have been distributed over the last year.
The Shrine of St. Jude became a partner with the Capital Area Food Bank on September 8 of last year, and has purchased $14, 472.00 worth of non-perishable food over 8 months; with $9,000.00 of that amount funded by CAFB.
ST. STEPHEN’S FOOD PANTRY at The Shrine of St. Jude
Our Food Pantry has been operating since the beginning of May 2020, and the number of needy continues to average 300 per week.
Donations of non-perishable items can be left on the table in the breezeway on Saturdays and Sundays, or after 3:30 p.m. on school days. These include boxes of cereal, canned items (tuna, chicken, soups, vegetables, tomatoes and fruit), boxes of pasta, sauce in plastic jars & macaroni and cheese. In addition, baby diapers (sizes 3-6) and wipes are always needed.
Monetary donations can be given through “Faith Direct”. You can also click the word Donate on the church webpage at www.shrinestjude.org, and find St. Stephen’s Pantry where you can make a one-time gift. We will also accept cash and check donations as well as gift cards to grocery stores.
Follow us at www.facebook.com/StStephenfoodpantry.
"MCPAW"s and Claws
For your furry family members: The Montgomery County Partners for Animal Well-being (MCPAW.org) and the Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center (MCASAC) have teamed up to provide county pet owners with petfood distributed Saturday mornings from 8:45 to 11:00 am adjacent to the St. Stephen Food Pantry distribution (at the back parking lot).
Petfood or gift cards can also be donated at that time or by calling 240-462-5000 or 301-437-6189. Monetary donations are accepted online at MCPAW.org and are tax-deductible.
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The St. Stephen's Pantry continues to serve over 300 families each Saturday. The need of the community is great and so is the need for donations. PLEASE HELP! See below for food items desperately needed. Thank you.
Below are the continued most needed items for the pantry:
List updated 03/01/2021
canned tuna and chicken
canned soups
canned fruits, vegetables and tomatoes
canned pork and beans
small bags of beans and rice
small bags or boxes of pasta
peanut butter, jelly and jams (plastic jars)
cereal and cans of oatmeal
boxed pasta and pasta sauce (plastic jars)
boxed mac and cheese
fruit juice (plastic jar)
diapers - size 3, 4, 5 and 6
20,000 grocery bags and diapers donated to St. Stephen’s Pantry
On Monday, February 8, 2021, the Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ Association of the United States and Canada, (OPCMIA) a labor union located in Columbia, MD, representing Plasterers, Cement Masons, Shop Hands has donated 20,000 grocery bags and baby diapers to the Shrine of St. Jude, St. Stephen’s Pantry.
In a meeting with retired employee Nick Scholz, General President Daniel Stepano inquired about the number of grocery bags needed. After authorizing the purchase of the 20K bags for the pantry he asked “Is there anything else you need?”
Nick, aware of the shortage of baby diapers, informed Mr. Stepano of the need. The General President immediately approved that $2600.00 be spent on baby diapers for the pantry.
This is the second large donation from the OPCMIA. Shortly after the pantry opened, they donated 10,000 grocery bags.
The volunteers and recipients of The St. Jude, St. Stephen Pantry are very grateful to General President Stepano and the OPCMIA for their generous donations. THANK YOU for helping us help those in need.
Need for Baby Diapers and, Baby Wipes - Size 4, 5 and 6
Besides food items. the Pantry provides diapers when available. Our past partnership with Montgomery County has eneded and we desperatly need donations (especially sizes 4,5 and -6)
You can buy items on Amazon and have them shipped directly to the Pantry!Have them shipped to:ST . STEPHENS'S PANTRYSHRINE ST, JUDE12701 Veirs Mill Road,Rockville, MD 20853Note: We DO NOT accept donations of clothing or pet food.
However, the Montgomery County Animal Service Division is here every Saturday and distributes free pet food. They are also accepting donations. More information can be obtained by calling 240-773-5925NEW DONATION DROP-OFF SCHEDULE
Donation by CHECK:
Regular staffed drop-off days and times are on Friday 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm.
Please note, that if you are not able to make a drop off on Friday with the regular pantry volunteers present, you may leave the donations in the Breezeway AFTER 3:30 pm, Monday thru Friday and all day, Saturday and Sunday. Please mark your donation "Food Pantry".
The Breezeway doors are locked from 7:45 am to 3:30 pm, Monday through Friday for the safety and health of our school children, teachers and staff.
Your donations help those in need and are greatly appreciated.
MONETARY DONATIONS
We will also accept cashand check donations as well as gift cards to grocery stores.
You can also donate through FAITH DIRECT
Check donations are accepted for any amount.
Make check payable to: "SHRINE ST. JUDE" and in the " memo" line please write "St. Stephens Pantry".Many thanks to our dedicated volunteers who help every week!
Youth Volunteers
Others Who Gave Generously
The Knights of Columbus St. Joseph Manyanet Council #5567
The Knights of Columbus also provided 20 Thanksgiving Dinners for the needy, which were distributed on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. These included a turkey, stuffing mix, gravy, canned vegetables, fresh celery and carrots, potatoes, onions, bread, and a bag of candy.
And a special unexpected delivery…of 15 more turkeys from long-time parishioner Carlos Atilio Menjivar.
Summary Report of Food Pantry Donations from Neighboring Churches, the Knights of Columbus, and Catholic Charities
St. Martin’s: St. Jude’s parishioner Tom Roach performs twice weekly pick-ups of donated food working with Chuck Smith from St. Martin's. To date, Tom has filled his truck 27 times in the 21 weeks since the pantry started, with salad kits, vegetables, fruit, berries, bagels, bread sticks, etc.
St. Patrick’s: Donations of non-perishable items arrive the third Sunday of each month following collections at that day’s morning masses. Most recently, on September 20, the pantry received over 40 bags/boxes.
Our Lady of Grace: Louise Hendon of OLOG Sodality, led a Diaper Drive in August and donations continue to arrive. Over 2,500 diapers have been delivered to the pantry by Amazon from OLOG parishioners.
St. Jane de Chantal: Non-perishable food donations in August.
St. Andrew Apostle: Father Dan Leary provided perishable and non-perishable donations in late May.
Also —Knights of Columbus: The St. Joseph Manyanet Council #5567, based at St. Catherine Laboure, took over the 3-hour drive each way to Hagerstown in August and delivers 700 loaves of bread to the pantry every week.
Catholic Charities: Since mid-August, as part of their Community Outreach Department, Catholic Charities has provided the pantry with 300 bags of non-perishable items every week.
(Report compiled by Mike Goss, Director, St. Stephen’s Food Pantry at the Shrine of St. Jude)
AS THE NEED GROWS - SO DOES THE ST. STEPHEN PANTRY
News from the St. Stephen's Food Pantry. The pantry has become much cooler with the addition of two (2) new refrigerators and one (1) new freezer delivered on Friday, September 4th. That makes a total of four (4) refrigerators and two (2) freezers available to the pantry and to the church. There was also an air conditioning unit installed to the expanded pantry room (a former storage room) the last week of August. Special thanks to the parishioners for the generous donation to keep the pantry a cool place.
Also new to the pantry was the acquisition of a much needed pallet jack.
Photos of the pantry rooms and kitchen.
The following link will take you to an online photo album of the St. Stephen's Food Pantry bagging night at the Shrine of St. Jude.
Photo Albus of Bagging Night
Enjoy the photos. courtesy of Tom Roach
There are 25+ youth volunteers out there every Saturday running bags and boxes of food to the clients vehicles, directing traffic, moving food carts of food to the tables, etc. The youth of our parish are really stepping to aid the needy of our community.
10,000 grocery bags donated to St. Stephen’s Pantry
The Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ Association of the United States and Canada, (OPCMIA) a labor union located in Columbia, MD, representing Plasterers, Cement Masons, Shop Hands has donated 10,000 grocery bags to the Shrine of St. Jude, St. Stephen’s Pantry.
We are very grateful to General President Stepano and the OPCMIA for their generous donation. From all the volunteers and recipients of St. Stephen’s Food Pantry – THANK YOU!
OPCMIA Bag Donation video
Pantry News
So far, on the first Saturday of distribution on May 9th, 121 families were served. We are now serving well over 400 families and the need is growing.
Thanks to all who are donating and please continue to donate.
Past Photo Albums
The food pantry received a generous donation of 196 bags of food from Twin Valley Distillers on May 22. 2020. The food pantry also received an emergency donation of 500 paper bags from the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament on Thursday, May 21st just before bagging time.
Twin Valley Distributor Donation
photos, by Tom Roach
Distribution days: May - August 2020:
Enjoy the photos courtesy of Fr. Paul D. Lee
Photo Album Packing Night
Enjoy the photos.courtesy of Tom Roach
Photos of 1st distribution day courtesy of Tom Roach
The first weekly distribution was a huge success, serving 121 families.
Blessing of the Food Pantry April 27, 2020
We are still accepting volunteers for Inventory and for drop-off and distribution days. There are pantry guidelines concerning social distancing and we have 2,000 facial masks on order that have already shipped.
If you wish to volunteer please send your name, phone number, and email to Edwin Lopez at elopez1@farmersagent.com.