Just in time to offer assistance during the holiday season and also to observe a significant anniversary, Holy Family Food Pantry along with several Springfield Catholic Charities offices, have moved to 120 S. 11th St., the southeast corner of 11th and Washington streets.
"We are pleased to celebrate our 25th anniversary (of the food pantry) at our expanded new location," said Faith Sanderson, administrative assistant at Springfield Catholic Charities. "We have so much more room here, not only for the food pantry, but for storing baby things, winter clothing and even Christmas items."
Also housed at 120 S. 11th are the Mobile Food Pantry, MedAssist Program, the Crisis and Advocacy Office and Intact Family Services, Sanderson said.
Holy Family Food Pantry has actually been moved several times. Sister Anne Carlino, OSF, initiated the opening in November 1989. The original location was 900 E. Reservoir St., behind Caritas Bingo Hall on North Grand Avenue. After operating at that location for several years, it was relocated to 1023 E. Washington St., a building that had become very crowded over the years.
Cliff Shehorn, the food pantry supervisor, said the new location provides "room to spread out" so that employees and volunteers can see what they have in the way of food and supplies. "So this is a much nicer facility for us to work in," he said.
Sanderson added that organizing the food became much easier when the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis donated a dozen sets of 6-foot shelves. "Theirs was just one of the donations that made this all possible," she said.
For example, Gerald Klopfer volunteered to help with remodeling in the building, Sanderson said. "He was also on hand the day of our move, to remove a door so Mayflower movers could roll our 7-foot freezers in. It was a tight squeeze." This past summer, youth from Catholic HEART Workcamp painted some of the interior walls of the building as part of their service project.
Holy Family Food Pantry serves many, said Sanderson. "In Fiscal Year 2013, the food pantry served 3,592 families. Moreover, the Crisis and Advocacy Office — the reception-caseworker area — assisted 4,534 families."
The Springfield Mobile Food Pantry also will be up and running soon. "We're hopeful that we'll be making food distributions through that Mobile Food Pantry by the first of the year," said Steve Roach, executive director of Catholic Charities. Through mobile food pantry trucks, the agency is striving to bring food to those who are hungry, but might not be able to afford the high gas prices or have transportation to get to food pantry buildings.