Volunteer Kent Hauser deliver boxes of food provided by St. Teresa Ministries in Bowling Green, Ky. COURTESY OF ST. TERESA MINISTRIES
St. Teresa Ministries supports World Food Day by helping SVDP food pantries feed the hungry in local community
BY CATHY BEARD, SPECIAL TO THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC
St. Teresa Ministries in Bowling Green, Ky., recently joined hands with St. Joseph and Holy Spirit St. Vincent de Paul food pantries to help provide additional food for distribution to those in need. St. Teresa Ministries helps support both food pantries monthly with combined annual contributions of over $79,000.
World Food Day is an international day celebrated every year worldwide on Oct. 16 to commemorate the date of the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in 1945. It’s a day for us to remember those suffering from hunger and the international work being done to curb this epidemic.
St. Teresa Ministries stepped in to help the food pantries by supplying $5,000 to each of the two food pantries in meat products to the pantries, including ground beef, drumsticks, franks, and sausage. These meat products enabled the pantries to provide much needed proteins in the food boxes for healthy diets. This food donation was in addition to the monthly donations made by St. Teresa Ministries to both St. Vincent de Paul food pantries in Bowling Green. Together, St. Teresa Ministries and the food pantries make a positive difference in the lives of many in our community.
Volunteers Ken Herndon and John Bryce deliver food provided by St. Teresa Ministries in Bowling Green, Ky. COURTESY OF ST. TERESA MINISTRIES
In Kentucky, more than 573,000 people face hunger, including 1 in 6 children. Many of us may not realize the grave disparities that exist in our own communities. People face hunger every day. They could be your neighbor, kids in your own kids’ classrooms, seniors living on fixed income – the possibilities go on and on!
Inflation is squeezing people in need as well as the pantries they go to for help. More and more people are coming to the food pantries for help, while at the same time food pantries are hurting from a big drop in sourced food. The quantities and types of food available have been reduced thus making it very difficult for the food pantries to serve the growing needs of clients. The pantries are run by volunteers who work tirelessly to provide what food they can to those in need.
Our giving is made possible by generous donations of gently used clothing, home goods and furniture to St. Teresa Thrift Store, our loyal customers, and dedicated staff. We’re very grateful to our donors for their continued generosity and for helping us help the Bowling Green community.
Cathy Beard is a member of the St. Teresa Ministries board of directors. She may be reached at [email protected] and (270) 796-0267.
Originally printed in the November 2022 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
