St. Joseph Catholic Church Outreach Ministry - The Food Pantry

The Food Pantry program is the largest of the Outreach Ministry's programs in terms of the number of persons receiving assistance from it. It is estimated that between 75 and 90 families each week receives food aid in the first quarter of 2014. The program is housed in the St. Joseph Catholic Church parish hall and an on-site support storage building. The principal sources of support are: (1) charitable donations from individuals, including a major gift of a few years ago; (2) generous grants from the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh; (3) (Federal Temporary Emergency Food Aid Program (TEFAP) food aid grants; (4) weekly food donations from a charitable organization in Wilmington that collects food from restaurants; (5) donations of funds, food and supplies, as well as volunteers from the Catholic parishes of St. Joseph (Burgaw), Transfiguration (Wallace), Immaculate Conception (Carolina Beach), St. Jude (Hampstead), St. Mary & its Tileston Outreach Ministry (Wilmington), St. Mark (Wilmington), St. Therese (Wrightsville Beach), and St. Stanislaus (Castle Hayne); (6) the provision of personnel, supplies and donated items from Catholic Charities (Wilmington regional office); (7) gifts of food from supermarkets and other establishments; (8) the purchase of reduced price food from the Food Bank CENC (Wilmington Warehouse); (9) donation of the use of space and utilities by the St. Joseph Catholic Church; And (10), donations of food and volunteer time by individuals from area Catholic and non-Catholic churches, as well as the community. The Food Pantry is open for distribution of food to families and individuals weekly on Thursday afternoons and at other times determined by the Director or Pastor to meet emergency or other charitable needs. (Example: During the farm harvest season when migrant families cannot come on Thursdays due to field work, the Food Pantry may open on Sundays immediately following the 1 PM Mass.).