Diocese, parishes respond to food insecurity crisis with collections

By DAWN PROSSER
Director of Communications
 
In response to the cuts in federal funding of the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) last week, the Diocese of Sioux City and diocesan parishes and schools are making extra efforts to get food in the hands of those who need assistance. From cash collections to food drives, Catholics are stepping forward to feed the hungry.
 
 In a memo to parish pastors, Bishop John E. Keehner advised that the diocese was making an emergency allocation of $2,500 per parish – nearly $100,000 – to assist with food assistance throughout the 24 counties that make up the diocese’s territory.
 
In a memo to the parish pastors, Bishop John E. Keehner advised that each parish would have $2,500 deposited into their bank accounts on Nov. 5. The pastors were asked to determine the best way to distribute the funds in their communities.
 
The diocese estimates that over 36,000 families in the diocese receive SNAP benefits, affecting an estimated 41,000 people.
 Diocesan funds are helping Jefferson St. Joseph replenish their 'Blessing Box' more often as the need for the food items has greatly increased in the last week.“Just as Christ tells us – ‘I was hungry and you gave me to eat, all of us are called to do what we can to feed the hungry, especially in light of the recent cuts to food assistance. I am grateful to the diocesan pastors and parishes in their help to distribute the funds in their communities and assist their neighbors,” Bishop Keehner said of the emergency allocation. 
Parish and school responses
Several diocesan parishes and schools reported that they traditionally have food drives and collections to assist the hungry in their areas but have increased their efforts in response to the Nov. 1 cuts to SNAP benefits.

Father Joe Dillinger, pastor of St. Joseph in Wall Lake which includes Sac City St. Mary Church, said the parish traditionally takes up a collection in July to assist with the East Sac County School food pantry.

“Last week, I received an email from Sac County Public Health about a county-wide food collection. They will collect donations through Nov. 21 then distribute to eight to nine sites in Sac County,” the priest said, noting he included the information in the parish bulletin to encourage parishioners to participate in the collection. 

He said the parish forwarded $1,000 of the emergency funds from the diocese to put towards county food banks in response to the public health’s collection. East Sac County Schools received an additional $1,200 from the diocesan allocation. As students in the OBCIG (Odebolt, Battle Creek and Ida Grove) schools needed help with delinquent lunch accounts, the remaining dollars were forwarded to that school.

Father Dillinger said he was including the bishop’s letter about the emergency allocation in the parish bulletin so the faithful would be aware that the diocese is making an effort to help the food insecure throughout northwest Iowa. 

Abby Cunningham, media specialist for Divine Mercy Parish in Kossuth County and West Bend, said the parish initiated a food donation box a year ago in St. Cecelia Church in Algona, stocked with non-perishables.

“Anyone is allowed to take items when they need,” she said. “We’ve definitely seen an increase in the last week.”

When the items are running low, a message is posted on the parish social media accounts and the parish app requesting help, “and parishioners have shown incredible generosity in helping keep the supply well-stocked.”

Divine Mercy plans to use the diocesan emergency funds for an initiative where community members can pick up a bag from the parish containing specific food items to make a meal – with recipe cards included.

St. Joseph Parish, Jefferson, established a giving pantry/blessing boxes in the fall of 2021. Thanks to the generosity of parishioners in second collections, the parish has been able to restock the pantry twice each day, including weekends.

“The beauty of these blessing boxes is that people who need it don’t have to sign up anywhere or jump through any hoops. They are just able to have access to what they need without any embarrassment or reason to feel judged or ashamed,” explained Amy Roberts, parish business manager.

In recent days, the blessing box items are disappearing even more quickly than normal, she pointed out.

“With the extra $2,500 from the diocese, we will be able to fill the box three to four times a day instead of just the two,” the business manager said. “I’m sure this will be much appreciated by the food insecure in our community as the box is usually emptied quickly in normal times.”

Jeff Zyzda of Sioux City Mater Dei Parish and SiouxSacred Heart Sioux City faith formation students packaged homeless care kits this week.land Soup Kitchen board member said all four Sioux City parishes – Cathedral, Holy Cross, Sacred Heart and Mater Dei are participating in a city-wide food drive for the Soup Kitchen in November, due to the urgent need.

Mary Lehr, faith formation director for Sioux City Sacred Heart Parish, added that the parish conducted a blanket drive for the warming shelter a few weeks ago. The faith formation classes assembled homeless care kits and will have a can drive for the Siouxland Soup Kitchen. Next month, they will begin their giving tree project for Catholic Charities and Community Action Center. 

Cheryl Sherry, parish life coordinator for Holy Trinity Parish in Webster County, conducted a food drive in October as part of their stewardship efforts. Recently, the parish and St. Edmond School in Fort Dodge posted on social media that the parish food pantry is a resource for anyone affected by the cuts to the SNAP benefits.
Parishioners are encouraged to volunteer and or contribute to the food pantry, which is open on Wednesdays. 

The Remsen St. Mary/Marcus Holy Name faith formation program is asking students and families to participate in “Change a Meal for a Family” and contributing monetary gifts so that food banks can purchase non-perishables at a low price. Cash collected at the Nov. 19 Faith Formation Thanksgiving Mass will be contributed to the food banks in Marcus and Remsen. 

Mary Jo Wieland, administrative assistant for St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll said the parish is conducting their annual food drive Nov. 8 and 9 for Carroll’s Community of Concern food pantry.

“This is something that we do annually, but this year takes on special significance,” she said, noting that students are organizing the incoming donations into bins for the pantry.
At the Nov. 2 Called Youth Conference (see related story), 300 Thanksgiving meal kits with food for a meal – excluding the turkey – were packaged as part of a service project at the conference. The meal packages were distributed to area food pantries.

Amy Strough of St. Patrick Parish in Sheldon noted that 52 of the meal kits were forwarded to the Sheldon food pantry from the conference service project.
Danbury Catholic school food drive.
Danbury Catholic School conducts a food drive each fall, but in a recent letter to parents, the school noted the “tremendous need within our own community,” this year.

As reported on Oct. 31 in The Lumen, students from the Storm Lake St. Mary School Dance Team have been collecting food for the food insecure in their school. 



HOME