St. Juan Diego St Vincent de Paul Food Pantry

During the month of December 2016 the pantry was open eleven days (less than usual due to holidays and weather).  We gave food to 129 families, 330 adults and 236 children.  We also provided rental assistance of $300 and $470 in utility assistance.  We delivered backpacks to two schools that provided  food for the weekend for 40 children.  We gave out 30 Christmas boxes with special holiday foods and a $20 gift card for each member of the family.  Twenty five volunteers donated 146 hours in various ways.  We worked with the Oregon Food Bank to receive both free food and purchased food.  We picked up out-dated food from several grocery stores.  When the stores had more bread than we can used we delivered it to locations serving free meals.  Some volunteers worked directly with our clients.

During the Month of November we were open three  days each week for a total of ten days.  We were not open during the Thanksgiving weekend.  We served 107 families (285 adults and 183 children) and distributed 8,190 pounds of food.  We also delivered food boxes to four families who were physically incapable of coming to the pantry.  

So far in the month of December we have provided $300 in rent assistance and $320 in utility assistance.  

We are in the process of providing 30 families that consistently come to he pantry with Christmas food boxes that include $20 for each family member so the family can buy Christmas presents for each member.

We provided backpacks for thirty five children at McKinley School and five children at McKinley School.  The backpacks consist of two days food for the children to eat on the weekend.  The schools provide us with the names of children who are coming to school hungry on Monday morning.