Enough food to go around

Faith

Related Photos

Mimi Collar, Don McAfee and Mandi Fuksa assist an individual at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church’s food pantry. Although the number of new families has tapered off a bit, St. Gregory volunteer Rita Suttmiller said new families have been coming since the beginning of the year. (Staff Photo by SHAWN YORKS)
Hannah Fuksa, Mandi Fuksa, Agnes Cummings, Desi Milacek and Wilma Scheffe (above left) assist a customer at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church’s food pantry. Although the number of new families has tapered off a bit, St. Gregory volunteer Rita Suttmiller said new families have been coming since the beginning of the year. (Staff Photo by SHAWN YORKS)
Cecilia Warner (right) makes sure files are in order, while Ellen Curtis gets ready to sign someone up for services at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church’s food pantry. Although the number of new families has tapered off a bit, St. Gregory volunteer Rita Suttmiller said new families have been coming since the beginning of the year. (Staff Photo by SHAWN YORKS)

Discussion

March 27, 2010

St. Gregory volunteers, donors meeting needs

By Joe Malan, Staff Writer Enid News and Eagle The Enid News and Eagle Sat Mar 27, 2010, 10:51 PM CDT

ENID — Toward the end of 2009, St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church food pantry began serving more and more families.

Although the number of new families has tapered off a bit, Rita Suttmiller said new families have been coming since the beginning of the year.

“We have had 76 new families,” said Suttmiller, a volunteer who works at St. Gregory’s food pantry.

Through March 2010, Suttmiller said the food pantry has served 849 families, more than 1,500 adults and 800 children.

Despite the ongoing nationwide recession, Suttmiller said there’s plenty of food to go around at the pantry, thanks to donations and purchases from organizations and individuals within the community.

On the second Tuesday of every month, the pantry purchases about 8,000 pounds of groceries from the regional food bank. Suttmiller said that food goes a long way in helping needy members of the community.

A lot of food is given by church members and other members of the community, too.

“Our parishioners are very generous with donations,” Suttmiller said.

The food pantry at St. Gregory’s has been running for more than 20 years. Suttmiller said the project started out small, with the church secretary organizing donations and giving them to families.

Pretty soon, the work became too heavy for just one person to bear.

The program has continued to increase in scope throughout the years.

In 2009, the food pantry helped 4,700 families, 8,400 adults and 5,000 children.

They’ve also received help from Horn of Plenty as one of the organizations the entity helps.

Suttmiller said St. Gregory’s food pantry always is looking for donations.

The pantry is open 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Friday.

Text Only

Faith

Enough food to go around
Although the number of new families has tapered off a bit, Rita Suttmiller said new families have been coming since the beginning of the year.

March 27, 2010 3 Photos
Taking care of ‘the most vulnerable’
Local churches have been purchasing frozen meals through Food Share America to replace the lost Friday meals since November. The collaboration has been ongoing since Wheatheart Nutrition, due to budget cuts from Department of Human Service, had to halt its senior nutrition program on Fridays.

March 27, 2010 2 Photos
Building a house on a rock
The youth group attracts students from Enid High School, Timberlake, Oklahoma Bible Academy, Pond Creek-Hunter and Kremlin-Hillsdale schools.

March 27, 2010 4 Photos
Community of Believers brings churches together
Carl Roberts, pastor at Harvest Time Worship Center and director of Community of Believers, said Community of Believers brings churches together from across Enid.

March 27, 2010 2 Photos
Healing ‘hurts, habits and hang-ups’
Celebrate Recovery will begin at 5 p.m. April 11 with an informal meal. At 6 there will be group worship time, and at 7 groups split up. At 8 everyone gathers for coffee and dessert. Celebrate Recovery is a program for a large variety of issues faced in life.

March 27, 2010 1 Photo
K-Life: Building relationships through Christ
K-Life, has brought together 53 children from churches around Enid. Clay Carson, area director for Enid K-Life, said the goal of the chapter is to help kids build relationships with other kids through Christ.

March 27, 2010 1 Photo
God’s and Grandma’s way of saving money
Enid and area residents are flocking to Financial Peace University, a 13-week course on finances developed by syndicated radio and television financial counselor Dave Ramsey, who says he teaches “God’s and Grandma’s way” of saving money.

March 27, 2010 3 Photos
Cowboy church: Come as you are
Thursday nights at Winter Livestock, Pastor Dan O’Daniel speaks to as many as 350 — more depending on who’s singing — during Chisholm Trail Cowboy Church’s services.

March 27, 2010
St. Matthew’s forges a new path
“Our hope is to build a labyrinth and prayer garden outside. We are in the process of building a permanent labyrinth. We have some designs from (Oklahoma State University) horticulture design students. It will be a meditation garden. It is our dream.” — Paula Nightengale, St. Matthew’s church member and trained labyrinth facilitator.

March 27, 2010 3 Photos
CrossWalk serious ‘about being inclusive’
“We have an emphasis on service as opposed to doctrine. It’s much more important to feed the hungry than to believe any certain doctrine, doing what Jesus said, not just believing certain things about Jesus.” — the Rev. J.F. Wickey

March 27, 2010 1 Photo
More Faith Headlines

Faith

Search Results

Related Photos

Discussion

Enough food to go around

St. Gregory volunteers, donors meeting needs

Site Map

Contact Us