Destiny, a single mother supporting her 9-year-old son, visited a Catholic Charities of New York pop-up food pantry held at St. Philip Neri Church, in the Bedford Park neighborhood of the Bronx. With her single income, she is not able to fully support her family and provide for the ever-increasing needs of her growing son.
“Even with a full-time job and working overtime, I still need help,” said Destiny. “The food pantry helped me feed my household especially when I’m struggling with other bills. Things have gone up in price.”
The high cost of food continues to affect many vulnerable New Yorkers like Destiny. To meet this need, Catholic Charities of New York uses its large network of food pantries, soup kitchens, mobile pantries, its meal delivery service to those who are homebound, and a food distribution hub to provide food for approximately 50,000 New Yorkers every month.
A Diverse and Healthy Selection of Food
Marlyne, a formerly homeless client who currently lives in supportive housing, also visited the food pantry at St. Philip Neri. She appreciated the diverse and healthy food selection offered.
“We were able to get things like celery, apples, oranges,” said Marlyne. “Sometimes when you go to smaller pantries, you get mostly canned goods and things of that nature, but this was very well-rounded.”
“I appreciate the fact that they had a good amount of produce. That’s mostly what I eat because of my disability and being on an anti-inflammatory diet,” said Marlyne.
Thanks to supporters like you, we served over 10 million meals to New Yorkers in need last year alone. We are committed to distributing a diverse selection of nutritional food — from fresh fruits and vegetables to meat and dairy products. Providing nutritional food is fundamental to upholding the human dignity of the vulnerable communities we serve.
“We’re trying to make sure that people have the best nutrition possible. Everybody is entitled, and it’s a human necessity,” said Maria Salerno, a Program Manager of the Feeding Our Neighbors Program at Catholic Charities Community Services.
A Holistic Approach to Food Insecurity
Many of Catholic Charities of New York’s pantries have social workers on site to refer clients to other free services and public benefits that they may not be aware of—such as rental and utility assistance. Social workers help enroll families in government nutrition assistance programs, like SNAP and WIC for mothers.
“I didn’t consider those options because I wasn’t educated to know that they were there for younger parents,” said Destiny.
Catholic Charities of New York believes that meeting the need for food can be an entryway in addressing other factors contributing to poverty. The information gap on services available at Catholic Charities of New York and government programs can be addressed here.
With this information, Destiny hopes to have the financial freedom to push forward and even give back in the future. “I also asked how I can contribute myself and volunteer if I have time on days I am not working,” she said. “I want to help with some of the charitable things that they do here. I think it’s lovely.”
A Rising Demand at Food Pantries
Catholic Charities of New York hosts food pantries that serve the needs of vulnerable communities through the generosity of our donors and volunteers. However, the need is great. An estimated 1.5 million New York City residents don’t have enough food. One in four are children. With the high cost of food, visits to food pantries are on the rise.
Barbara, a St. Philip Neri parishioner and volunteer, has lived in the Bronx for 50 years. In the spirit of her Catholic faith, she is glad to be part of volunteer opportunities that help meet the needs of her diverse community.
“We live to serve—serve our neighbors, serve our family, and serve our community. This is what being Catholic is being about,” Barbara shared.
We count on your support to make services like this possible. You can provide help and create hope. Make a generous, tax-deductible gift today.
