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Date: 12/15/2020
AGAWAM – Sacred Heart Parish is asking for donations to help Open Pantry’s Loaves and Fishes in Springfield.
According to an advertisement posted on social media by Sacred Heart, Open Pantry, which is located on the site of the South Congregational Church in Springfield, is in “desperate need” of white socks, scarves, hats, and gloves.
The church also noted that since COVID-19 hit everyone in March, the number of people in need of extra help in surrounding communities has increased dramatically.
Sacred Heart assists with Open Pantry’s “Socks For Santa” program by asking people to drop off their clothing donations in the entryway of Sacred Heart, just beyond the first set of doors. According to Deb Briancesco, the pastoral minister at Sacred Heart, there will be a basket in the little walkthrough. The donations are then sent to South Congregational.
“I think we are so blessed to be located where we are at, so that we are easy to access,” said Briancesco. “We are here five days a week answering phones, so if there is somebody in need, we are hoping they call us.”
According to Briancesco, all of the donations Sacred Heart needs, comes from its parishioners. Throughout different times of the year, these parishioners will donate food to Sacred Heart, which in turn is sent to Open Pantry to serve those in need.
“That’s kind of special about one of the things we do,” said Briancesco. “Our church has been doing this for close to 30 years.”
A group of churches in the area rotate and take turns helping out Open Pantry and the community at large with food donations and food serving. Sacred Heart participates every first Saturday of the month, according to Briancesco. The type of foods change depending the time of year. For example, from October through January, Open Pantry is serving ziti with meat sauce.
Open Pantry has had to adjust since the pandemic has started. The food is now heated and packaged at South Congregational, and volunteers go outside to hand the packaged food to those in need, according to Briancesco.
“During pre-COVID they were serving between 100 or 125 or so, give or take,” said Briancesco. “But since then, it’s just about doubled, so we’re really looking and inviting anybody who wants to do something to help, to give us a call, and we can add them to the list to keep this ministry going.”
Darleen St. Jacques, the program director for Open Pantry’s kitchen, said that Sacred Heart has supported them for many years.
“We provide all takeout meals, every day, lunch and dinner,” said St. Jacques, with regards to the way they distribute their food every day, at the moment. Lunch is served every day at noon, and dinner is served at 5 p.m., according to St. Jacques.
Aside from the winter clothing, Open Pantry is also asking residents to donate “single-served snack items,” like cheese crackers or potato chips. It could be cookies too, according to St. Jacques.
“We’re doing okay with takeout meals,” said St. Jacques. “It’s getting a little cold right now, so we get right out there at 5 o’clock.”
Open Pantry will serve anyone who is in need of meal, according to St. Jacques, but particularly those in the greater Springfield area. Some of these people are homeless, have small apartments, or live in abandoned homes, said St. Jacques.
“We’re very lucky to have the church,” said St. Jacques. ‘We’ll just continue to provide food no matter what.”
People looking to donate white socks, scarves, hats gloves, and single-serve snack items can do so by dropping them off in the basket at Sacred Heart Parish Center. Donations will be accepted through February 2021. If anyone has any questions, call Briancesco at 786-8200, ext. 3.