Bishop William Byrne of the Catholic Diocese of Springfield stands with Catholic Charity Agency Executive Director Shaina Rodriguez on Nov. 6 in St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Westfield asking for the community’s help to fill the shelves to help those experiencing food insecurity.
Reminder Publishing photo by Cliff Clark
WESTFIELD — William D. Byrne, the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield visited the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry at St. Mary’s Parish on Nov. 6 to issue a call to arms to the community to help those struggling with food insecurity as a result of the cut in SNAP benefits.
“Right now, I think what we need to do is fill shelves,” said Byrne while standing in the small food pantry with Shaina Rodriguez, the executive director of the Diocese’s Catholic Charity Agency.
Byrne said the church was highlighting the needs of the pantry because “we have too many people in our in our neighborhoods that are hungry.”
While welcoming the news SNAP beneficiaries are getting a partial allocation after initially thinking they might be cut off completely from food assistance in November, “the uncertainty of food in the future still hangs in over many, and these reduction of benefits has deepened the hardship for many and put fear into many hearts across all of Western Massachusetts,” he said.
As a result, Bryne said that as Catholics, “we are called upon to respond.”
“I know that many of our parishes, if not most like St. Mary’s here, have food collection programs which serve as either local donation sites or they feed into broader food banks and through this food drive,” he said.
“Let’s please take this opportunity to see if we can even do more for those who are hungry. So each can of food, each box of macaroni, each one of these is a symbol of a sign of love,” Byrne said.
Rodriguez spoke of how the food needs in Springfield have exploded over the last week.
Providing food through its mobile food pantry, Rodriguez said that on Oct. 31, there were 84 families who needed food, which is about 240 individuals, and by Nov. 6, there were 98 families seeking help.
“And that was just one location,” Rodriguez said.
“This need is across Western Mass. and we need to step up together and meet that need together. We need to be doing what we’re called to do by the gospel by Jesus and together we can do that,” she said.
The food items the pantry at 86 Mechanic St. needs are canned tuna and salmon, pasta, pasta sauce, boxes of macaroni and cheese and other nonperishable items like rice, soups and peanut butter, Rodriguez said, adding that to culturally sensitive the pantry could use a donation of sunflower seed butter for those who abstain from dairy products.
She added that there is a need for diapers and baby formula.
Rodriguez asked that donated cans of food have pull-top tabs that can be opened without a can opener.
“If you look here on the shelves,” Bryne said, pointing to the shelves at the pantry that were about half filled, “you see all the soups and the raviolis are all things that one could open without having to have an elaborate kitchen and provide an easy meal for a family.”
Rodriguez also stressed that families in need can also use personal hygiene items.
Christine Farrell, the president of the St. Vincent de Paul Society and pantry director, said for those who want to donate, boxes are just inside the doors to St. Mary’s Parish on Bartlett Street.
She said that demand for food has doubled and tripled over the last three weeks.
“The line told it (about the increase) yesterday. The line was into the parking lot and around the corner,” Farrell said.
Byrne offered an explanation about the increase in families needing food assistance.
“We’re recognizing people, out of fear, are going to the food pantries and so the shelves are emptying quicker than they had been at an earlier pace. So that’s why we need to turn up the energy on this and make our parishes aware,” Byrne said.
Farrell said financial contributions can be dropped off at the pantry office.
Rodriguez wanted it to be made clear that there are no questions asked of those seeking assistance.
