CCS breakfast honors 'champions for those in need'
OGDEN — Feeding the hungry is in large part what Catholic Community Services of Northern Utah is all about. The organization’s Joyce Hansen Hall Food Bank, in Ogden, is the largest food pantry in the area. Its clients include the elderly who are on fixed incomes, families whose budgets don’t quite stretch to the end of the month, and individuals who have unexpected demands such as a rent increase. At the food bank, they receive a full shopping cart of food each month.
Donations to the food bank come from businesses, civic organizations and individuals throughout the community. Each year, CCS Northern Utah recognizes some of these donors at the Dream Builder’s Breakfast. This year, the honorees were Saint Joseph Elementary School, homeless advocate Pamela Atkinson, Weber County Commissioner Jan Zogmaister and Robert Hunter, president/CEO of United Way of Northern Utah.
"We have a very small staff, and we rely heavily on our community," said Marcie Valdez, director of CCS Northern Utah, in the video presentation at this year’s breakfast, held April 2 at the Summit Hotel in Ogden. "We could not accomplish what we do without the help of many volunteers each and every day, as well as donations of food and money."
"There are so many misconceptions about the people in our community who rely on the food pantry, one of them being ‘if they worked harder they could take care of themselves,’" Valdez said, but not all of them can. She referred to a client featured in the video as a perfect example of someone "who is trying as hard as she can, and still needs a little extra support from each of us."
Glenda Lingo’s monthly trip to the food bank takes more than six hours on her motorized scooter, Valdez said. "It takes a lot of physical energy she does not have, a very scary trip over the viaduct, in her wheelchair, in traffic. It takes a lot of courage and spirit to face this challenge, and yet she does it with a smile and a grateful heart. If Glenda can put that much effort into her battle, then certainly we should match her efforts."
Those honored at the breakfast "are champions for Glenda and so many others who are in need," Valdez said.
The first award was presented to St. Joseph Elementary School, to "the hundreds of youth and leaders who have dedicated thousands of hours over the course of the last 25 years to ensure that Catholic Community Services has the resources to serve our community. The acts of service that have been performed by some of the smallest leaders in our community have been acts that have truly enhanced our ability to provide life’s most basic needs to people who would otherwise go without."
The students participate in at least three projects each year on CCS’ behalf, Valdez said, including a warm sock/glove/hat drive, a ham/turkey drive over the holidays and collections for the Saint Mary’s Baby Project.
"Just in the last five years alone, these remarkable students have donated over 42,000 pounds of food to Catholic Community Services," Valdez said, while the Souper Bowl of Caring early this year brought in 16,000 pounds of food. "They give with such glad hearts, and they really take the time to learn about the issues and have become one of our most passionate agents of change."
In his comments after the breakfast, Bishop Wester said that CCS serves people "just like you and me" who merely need a hand. He thanked those who contribute to CCS. "You, my dear people, my brothers and sisters, you make Easter a reality, not just on April 20 but on every day of the year, for so many. You remind people that indeed Jesus has risen from the dead, that there is hope. I … thank you for all that you make possible."
© Copyright 2024 The Diocese of Salt Lake City. All rights reserved.
Stay Connected With Us