AS THE LEADER OF St. Kilian Catholic Church’s food pantry in Mission Viejo, parishioner Debbie Little has learned to pivot as the world around her changed.
As the country shut down during the coronavirus pandemic, Little and her team of volunteers saw airline pilots and individuals from a variety of occupations needing help for the first time. Before that, Little noticed more and more seniors stopping by on distribution days as grocery store prices started to come up.
Now, St. Kilian’s Food Pantry is serving close to 200 families from a variety of backgrounds every week as expenses continue to rise.
SANDRA TRUEMAN REORGANIZES FOOD DONATIONS AFTER SERVING NEARLY 100 FAMILIES IN ONE DAY. PHOTOS BY MIKE VULPO/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
“Across the board, everybody is affected today because everything’s so expensive,” Little said. “A box of cereal that I would once buy for $1.25 is now nearly $6. It can be anybody in need.”
Fortunately, the St. Kilian Food Pantry is here to help. For two days, the outreach ministry invites neighbors to receive basic groceries and items from local stores provided through the Grocery Rescue program.
While necessities like fruits and vegetables, milk and eggs, pasta and canned goods are important, St. Kilian tries to take it one step further.
RICHARD GOUGEON AND JIM GENTILE FILL UP SHOPPING CARTS WITH DONATIONS FOR THE NEXT FOOD PANTRY GUEST.
“We find a lot of our guests find that we’re better than other pantries,” Little said. “Our volunteers help individuals out to their cars and have dialogue with them. They’re not just handling food. They’re actually a friend. That sets us apart. Plus, we have a variety of items unlike other pantries.”
JAMES TOGNAZZINI UNLOADS FOOD AFTER PICKING UP DONATIONS FROM A NEIGHBORHOOD MARKET.
During some distribution days, guests can walk away with flowers, toiletries and other household goods donated by generous parishioners and neighboring businesses.
For Christmas, families can have kids fill out wish lists and have their holiday dreams become a reality.
During the summer, the food pantry will also provide school supplies for students hoping to start a brand new year with fresh items.
“I believe we have about 40 or 45 kids that we’re giving out a backpack and supplies to,” St. Kilian parishioner and volunteer Sandra Trueman. “When you share, you care. To me, that’s what Catholics do. We love each other.”
Behind the scenes, Little, Trueman and nearly 80 volunteers work seven days a week to ensure there is enough food for anyone who visits the pantry and needs a hand.
While certain items can run low, the team is amazed at how things can magically end up working out.
“It’s been really interesting when we run out of something and how God gives us that in a different way,” Trueman explained. “Maybe if we’re out something, we’ll get an unexpected delivery from a store or a restaurant. There are a lot of donations that are made from the people in the local area that help with the clients that we have at St. Kilian.”
For Little, who discovered the food pantry when she first became Catholic and joined St. Kilian in 1995, she stays committed to the work nearly 30 years later for a variety of reasons.
As Pope Francis continues to stay focused on his passion for helping those in need and reaching out to the peripheries, Little can’t help but “see God’s work every day” at the pantry.
“I sometimes see holes and I think, ‘Oh my gosh, how are we going to make that?’ And lo and behold, somebody comes up and says, ‘Hey, I’ve got that for you,’” she said. “I see the families that have needed
help come back and be volunteers. I get cold chills when I think about it.”
She also gives credit to her dozens of volunteers who she says are not looking for recognition or praise. Instead, they simply want to assist others.
“They all want to help, and they would go out of their way,” she said. “When we put a call out for school supplies, people come in with bags and bags to help us get it done. At Christmas, we sometimes have more toys than kids from the parishioners who want to help. People want to help, but they just don’t know where to go.”
As St. Kilian’s food pantry continues its mission of helping others, its leaders encourage others to get involved with their local organizations. Whether it’s the gift of time, finances or donations like toothpaste, cereal or pasta, every little bit helps.
“There’s so much good,” Little said, “and we have it here all the time, every
day.”
Trueman added, “Think about the canned items you use on a weekly basis. Next time you’re at the store, see if you can buy one additional one for your local pantry. One can truly make a difference.”
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