Page 6 - Winter Newsletter

SCHOOL NEWS
Yummy breakfast, lunch, and snack foods in the Weekly Meal Pack
Food for Thought
They say the best way to someone’s heart is through their stomach! At Saint Martin, we not only care about providing a quality education for our students, but we also want to ensure our Lions are cared for in all aspects of life. We talked with Vice President of Mission Virginia Malloy to hear how our Monthly Food Pantry and Weekly Meal Packs showcase our mission in action.
Q Who is allowed to participate in the pantry?
Q What is the Monthly Food Pantry at Saint Martin and how did it get started?
A
A It’s a partnership between the Cleveland Food Bank and Saint Martin de Porres that started in April of
The pantry is truly open to everybody! When
participants arrive we only ask for a phone number and how many people are in their families. No one has to give their name, prove they need the assistance, or show an ID to verify their address. We love when our student and alumni families come as well as our local neighbors.
2015. At the time, we were investigating food options for
our students in hopes of providing them with fresh cooked meals, fruits, and vegetables. We receive a truck load of food on the third Saturday of every month that we pass out to
our community. If the third Saturday of the month falls on a holiday weekend, then we switch the pantry to a di erent weekend. Thanks to our community of steadfast volunteers, we haven’t missed a month since we rst started in 2015!
Q How much food do you pass out each month?
A When the truck arrives it usually has about 6,000- 6,500 pounds of fresh produce. We never know what
is coming, but we are always grateful for anything the Food Bank sends. We receive onions, potatoes, squash, lettuce, apples, oranges, grapefruits, cabbage, and more! We typically have about 100 people come through the line each month, meaning we serve between 200-300 people because they are bringing food home to their families.
Q
How does the pantry work?
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Saint Martin de Porres High School Winter 2021 News
A
The food arrives in bulk so volunteers arrive early and
help bag the smaller produce and set everything out
on the tables in the St. Vitus gym. We are always happy to welcome new volunteers and donations of plastic grocery bags to help this process. Once we are ready, shoppers come through the line, choose their food, and are on their way.
Monthly Food Pantry. Our process has also changed slightly because the Food Bank is not allowed to deliver food inside. In the beginning, we held the pantries outside due to great weather. As we entered the winter months, we purchased a pallet mover in order for our volunteers to bring the bins of food inside. We now prepare large shopping bags containing all the produce and pass them out through the gym doors in order to promote social distancing and safety.
Q
How has the pandemic a ected the Monthly Food A Pantry?
We have de nitely seen an increase in need during our