Pondering at the Food Pantry

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Last Friday I was in North Salt Lake at the Ladies of Charity Center of Hope Food Pantry, watching students from Saint Olaf Catholic School unload the 2,000 pounds of food they had collected during a drive. This warmed my heart for a couple of reasons.

First, by overhearing the students’ comments, I learned that they are aware of the good that they were doing. The food was going to feed hungry people, and they knew it. It was also great to see them focused on getting the job done: It only took them about an hour to ferry in the bags and boxes, weigh them, and stack the items on the shelves. They acted like normal kids, with plenty of energy and chatter, but there was very little silliness and no horseplay at all.

Another reason I was happy to see the food pantry’s shelves being filled is that, as one of the kids said, it means “people are getting fed.”

The food pantry has more and more people coming in, but fewer donations. This situation is repeated throughout the state: last week KSL News reported that a food bank in Provo, the second-largest in the state, has seen demand increase 65 percent. In a story this newspaper reported at Christmas time, officials at Catholic Community Services’ Joyce Hansen Hall food bank in northern Utah said they had a 50 percent drop in donations last year even as they worked to provide for the 2,300 households they serve. Many of these families have children, or are comprised of seniors or people with disabilities. Statistics show that more than 102,000 families in Utah can’t afford enough food.

The donations brought in by the students included box upon box of ramen and Stove Top stuffing. I haven’t eaten ramen since I was in college, and I always make my own stuffing from bread crumbs and fresh vegetables. Comparing the items on the food bank shelves to my own pantry, I realized how well I eat. At the grocery store I buy fresh meat, fruits and vegetables. I couldn’t tell you the last time I ate meat from a can, unless you count tuna fish. The food I buy is low in fat and salt – an option not always available to those who depend on items from the food bank.  

When giving alms I try to treat the recipients with the full dignity they deserve, which in this case means offering them the same quality of food I put on my own table. And yet when I donated to the Center of Hope during the holiday season, I took a canned ham, not a fresh one. I also bought canned soups, but not the ones with the most nutritional value because they were almost twice as expensive as the others.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines almsgiving as “a witness to fraternal charity.” I wouldn’t feed my family most of the food I donated, not because it was bad but because I would want to feed them the best I could afford. I had a similar thought when I was selecting the food to donate. Standing there in the store, I went back and forth between the good stuff and the other things that were just OK, but in the end I bought the less-expensive items because that way I could feed more people.

I’m still not sure that was the right thing to do, but it seemed so at the time. Pope Francis tells us to look the poor in the eyes when we give to them; I could look people in the eye while giving ramen to the entire group, but if I gave some artisanal pasta and turned others away empty-handed because I couldn’t afford enough for everyone, I’d have to avoid a whole lot of accusing gazes.

It saddens me that even with the ramen I couldn’t feed everyone, but with my donation added to that of the St. Olaf students and everyone else, we can feed those who come to the food pantry, at least for this week.  

Marie Mischel is editor of the Intermountain Catholic. Reach her at marie@icatholic.org.