Residents can donate stuffing mix, yams, mashed potatoes, turkey gravy, dinner rolls, marshmallows, pie crust, green peas, broth, cranberries and more to Matthew 25:35 Ministries Food Pantry now through Friday, Nov. 14.
Drop-off locations include all six library branches, Grand Ridge Country Club, River Parishes Community College, Gracepoint Church, United Way of St. Charles, St. Charles United Methodist Church, Anytime Fitness Destrehan, Plantation Dental, Needle and Thread Sewing Academy and several schools and scout groups.
The donated food items will make up Thanksgiving Boxes for 333 families who signed up to receive a box and are existing clients of the food pantry. Ochsner Hospital donates fresh fruits and vegetables for the boxes.
Mary Anne Schindler, director of Matthew 25:35 Ministries, said the food pantry tries to fill the boxes with the ingredients for a complete Thanksgiving meal.
“This not only feeds the families but allows them to bring their families together to express gratitude like others in the community do,” Schindler said.
Schindler said more families are applying for the pantry’s assistance. Some of those new families are participants in the federal food assistance program known as SNAP, but Schindler said many SNAP recipients are already clients of the panty.
The SNAP program was at the center of a debate when the government shutdown Sept. 30 and the Trump administration said it would not fully fund the program during a shutdown.
Schindler said the pantry also noticed more and more federal workers applying for assistance because the government shutdown dragged on for over 40 days.
“If all of a sudden you do not have income coming in, you may have to reach out for help,” she said. “As hard as that is any of us could find ourselves in the same place at any time. It does not matter what you have, if suddenly you do not have funds coming into the household, you do not have the money to let yourself relax and enjoy yourself.”
Schindler said families do not take pleasure in coming to food pantries.
“It takes courage and to be very humble to come ask for food,” she said. “We try to make the process filled with compassion and love. We are not to judge, we are to be the hand, feet and face of Jesus Christ. Volunteers come to the pantry for many reasons but what they leave with is more blessings than they can give to others.”
She said she wants residents to know that while the food pantry serves food to those who are food insecure, the pantry’s mission is building relationships with clients and volunteers.
Thanksgiving Boxes for 333 families who signed up to receive a box and are existing clients of the food pantry.
“We become a ‘food pantry family,’” Schindler said. “It is such a blessing to be there for others and for them to be there for us. We host workshops and demonstrations for the community to help people grow so they can be more self-sufficient.”
She said the pantry is always in need of additional volunteers who can prepare food bags on Tuesday afternoons, distribute food on Wednesdays and arrange pick-ups from Winn Dixie Destrehan, Aldi’s Luling and Chick Fil A in Kenner.
The pantry also needs volunteers who can manage the pantry’s website and Facebook page, organize fundraisers, write newsletters and prepare grants – work that can be done at home. Residents interested in volunteering can find more information on Facebook or by emailing matthew2535.contact@gmail.com or calling 985-306-1067.
Schindler said it’s a blessing when families volunteer at the pantry.
“I learned about serving from my parents when I was very young,” she said. “I also find when children see the importance of helping others, they go home and end up getting their parents involved.”
Lauren Campo Pitz, assistant director of the library, said the library has worked with Matthew 25:35 Ministries on various projects since 2015.
“This partnership works because both of our organizations have a stake in the success of the residents of St. Charles Parish and are dedicated to improving the quality of life for everyone in the parish,” Pitz said.
Last year, the library collected over 600 individual items – or 370 pounds of food – for the Thanksgiving food drive.
“We hope this food drive helps ensure that more families in our community can enjoy a full Thanksgiving meal and feel cared for and supported,” Pitz said. “We also hope it strengthens community connections, raises awareness about local food insecurity and inspires people to give back throughout the year.”
Pitz said the need in the community is significant.
“Matthew 25:35 Ministries sees hundreds of families each month, and demand often spikes around the holidays,” Pitz said. “Even a small donation can make a real difference in helping a family have a complete meal.”
Pitz said the library staff sees the challenges people face, including food insecurity, and hear firsthand how important access to basic needs is.
“At the library, we interact with a wide range of community members every day,” she said. “Hosting a food drive allows us to leverage our role as a trusted, accessible community space to support families in ways that go beyond books and programs.”
In partnership with Matthew 25:35 Ministries, the library offers small food bags year-round to help address food insecurity in the parish. The bags are freely available at each library branch, allowing those in need to take one without needing to ask. The bags are packaged by Matthew 25:35 Ministries volunteers whenever they have enough supplies.
From January through October of this year, the library distributed over 5,000 food bags.
“We want the library to be a place of support, where people can access basic necessities with dignity and ease,” Pitz said.
The food pantry is also accepting monetary donations. Checks can be made out to Matthew 25:35 Ministries and mailed to 14034 River Road, Destrehan, LA 70047.
