Valley Stream food pantries work to meet demand

Though donations may be down a bit, spirits are running high at several church outreach programs with volunteers lending a helping hand to give out large amounts of food this holiday season.

“I get such satisfaction to help someone get food to put on their table,“ said Dawnelle Miller, director of Bethlehem Assembly of God’s House of Hope. “Considering the economy and what happened, as our needs expand, we must become more than a food pantry.”

Miller noted that House of Hope’s clients, which come from diverse families, can select any food items from the pantry, which is set up like a supermarket. An average of five clients come in each day, with several unemployed or elderly adults on a fixed income. Each year, the house tries to deliver Thanksgiving baskets to families to aid the tens of thousands of people she estimates experience hunger every day on Long Island.

House of Hope also helps people who get food stamps, Miller said.

With food donations usually increasing during the holidays, volunteers are on hand to get clients what they need, even if this year‘s donations may show a decrease from last year.

Over at the Holy Name of Mary Parish Outreach Center, the food pantry gets very busy every Monday morning. Sister Margie Kelly said there is a “high energy” resonating from the center’s basement during visits by about 95 families around this time. “During holiday time, we expect a flood of food,” Kelly said. “Volunteers put food in the garage to process and get on the shelves. It is an amazing amount of food.”

Kelly added that though their donations may have decreased a little, people still continue to be generous. For the holidays, baskets full of fresh vegetables, fruit and all the meal trimmings are given out to families. As a special added treat, there is a baker’s brunch, Kelly said, where people can bake cookies for the baskets.

“The community donates a lot of our items,” Kelly said. “And local high schools and elementary schools, our catholic school, and civil and fraternal organizations give food and money. We have other church groups and Island Harvest that helps, too.”

Ken Sendlein, a volunteer at Holy Name of Mary’s food pantry, said that the shelves were empty just a few weeks ago. When January and February roll around, the shelves will dry up again, Sendlein said, but he believes the donations should be high all year round.

“Groups come together for donations,” Sendlein said. “We take care of people from all faiths. A hungry person is a hungry person.” He added that many of the clients get emotional and even cry when food is delivered to them, especially around this season.

At the holidays, Holy Name’s outreach center offers opportunities for people to “adopt a family.” Volunteers can go out and buy a gift for one person or a whole family.

The Blessed Sacrament Church outreach center also caters to families, offering baskets — which are full of non-perishable food items, a gift card to a local market and a handful of other items. According to Director Judy Miccio, many parishioners donate and different organizations host food drives to gather items for the food pantry each year. The outreach center also has a grant with L.I. Cares, which Miccio said helps about 200 families around Christmas.

Its impossible to keep food on the shelves, Miccio said, estimating they will be empty within a week. Playing a big role in stacking those shelves, along with other tasks, are the volunteers, and Miccio noted that she is thankful for their help. “Without the volunteers, we could not run the outreach,” she said. “I could not do it on my own. They are wonderful men and women who are the heart and soul of the outreach. They are angels.”

One of those “angels” is 12-year-old Andrew Riggio, a Memorial Junior High School student who helps his mother and sister deliver food. “I like volunteering here,” said Riggio, who has been helping out for four years. “I usually lift the boxes.”

All three outreach centers accept items other than food. Blessed Sacrament has a thrift shop that accepts clothes, and basic living items such as dishes. House of Hope has a clothing pantry and accepts new and gently worn items. And Holy Name of Mary takes non-perishable items, personal care products such as shampoo, cleaning products and Christmas gifts.