Father English food drive

HELPING HANDS  Members of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) at All Saints Academy, Parsippany, sort though donations of diapers and baby wipes, after leading the school in a drive to benefit Father English Community Center, Paterson. In collecting baby items, All Saints took a different approach with its participation in a diocesan-wide effort by many of its Catholic elementary schools to take turns collecting food items to replenish the food pantry of the Father English Community Center, Paterson, which was severely damaged by fire on Nov. 2. Pictured are NJHS members (from left) Andrew VanHoven, Nicolas Gonzalez, Madelyn Whelan and Juliana Wingard — all seventh-graders.

MORRISTOWN  Last month, donations of non-perishable food items quickly outgrew two bins that were placed in the lobby at Assumption School here as students and parents opened their hearts and steadily piled half the space high with boxes and bags of donations within three weeks. This expression of generosity at Assumption has been replicated by many elementary schools across the Diocese, as they continue to take turns collecting food items to replenish the food pantry of the Father English Community Center, Paterson, which was severely damaged by fire Nov. 2.

Assumption signed up to conduct a food drive for the month of February — part of a larger effort of at least 14 elementary schools in the Diocese from December to June to serve the need at the Father English food pantry, part of Catholic Family and Community Services (CFCS). The facility serves the various needs of the poor in and around Paterson. The fire in November damaged the food pantry, thrift shop and clothing boutique and Veterans’ closet and all donations, said Sister of Charity Maureen Sullivan, CFCS’ director of pastoral services and volunteers.

At first, the food pantry used Eva’s Village Culinary School site for food collection and distribution. Since Dec. 26, the food pantry has been operating out of the Father English Bingo hall, as renovations to restore and renovate the damaged areas were made, thanks to the generosity of many donors to the food pantry fire appeal, Sister Maureen said.

“The fire was unfair to the many people helped by the food there and now it’s all gone,” said Brigid McGlone, a seventh-grader at Assumption, who donated food. “I thought that we should work extra hard to replace all the food, so the people could get nutrition and so they won’t starve. I was glad that I — and the rest of Assumption School — could help in any way we could,” she said.

Mary Baier, diocesan school superintendent, devised the idea of the drive, inspired by Msgr. Herbert Tillyer, pastor of St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Parsippany, and president of the new board of directors of Catholic Charities. At Catholic Charities Caritas Gala 2017 in Whippany on Nov. 4, he spoke about the fire and the urgent need for food and other donations, she said.

“We needed to get our schools involved in this united food drive for Father English,” Baier, said. “This [drive] is part of Catholic social teaching and teaches our students to help underserved and underprivileged people in need.”

Sister Maureen has been coordinating the school drive, which has been asking schools for the following items: beans, mixed vegetables, cereals, juices, soups, baby food, baby formula, canned fruits, canned meats, crackers, bread, diapers, jelly, macaroni and cheese, oatmeal, grits, farina, pancake mix and syrup, pasta, pasta sauce, peanut butter, powdered and non-dairy milk and rice. Usually, the generosity of the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, parish groups, service organizations, youth groups, family and individual donations and food stores provide food for Father English. Some food is purchased at low cost through the North Jersey Food Bank in Hillside, said Sister Maureen.

“The response to the drive has been terrific. I’m not surprised by the generosity of the schools. When families see a specific need and respond, it’s more meaningful to them,” said Sister Maureen, who spoke to principals in the Diocese at their meeting in November, along with Carlos Roldan, director of Father English’s food pantry. Sister Maureen said CFCS decided to head up a more comprehensive food drive that would last over several months rather than a shorter collection that would have lasted only November and December. The need for food continues, she said.

At Assumption, students and families placed their donations in the lobby under an appropriate saying by Walt Whitman, “I am larger, better than I thought; I did not know I held so much goodness.” So moved by the need, one family on vacation during the collection ordered food and had it shipped to the school, said Sister of Charity Merris Larkin, its principal.

“Our families are happy to donate. Our students know that they are very lucky and count their blessings. If they can make a difference, they do it. This [helping others] is who we are,” said Sister Merris, who noted that Assumption Parish held its own food drive for Father English and that the school also conducts drives for a local food pantry.

All Saints Academy, Parsippany, took a different approach to the drive by donating 40 sleeves of diapers and baby wipes. At the principal’s meeting, Sister Maureen’s statistic — that 24 percent of Father English’s clients are children — moved Judith Berg, its principal, to devise the diaper drive — a collective act of charity that she said gives “our students the experience of taking care of others.” The school’s Junior National Honor Society (JNHS) led the effort, creating promotional posters and visiting classrooms. Soon, students will deliver the donations personally to Father English, said Berg, noting that the school also conducts food drives for other social service organizations.

“When we heard that there was a need for babies, we sprang into action,” said Shannon Ragg, an All Saints eighth-grader and JNHS vice president, adding that the group worked on the project with its moderator Leanne Gonzalez, middle school English/language arts coordinator. “Our school families are always very generous, which helped us to exceed our goals to donate to Father English. It feels right that kids should help other kids,” she said.

Impressed with the donations from these schools, Roldan called the generosity so far “amazing.”

“The students love packing the food in the van. Often, there is so much food that they pack it to the ceiling. They get so excited. When the students get involved, I see a lot of happiness. They love to compete — who donates the biggest bags or who puts the bags into the van more quickly,” Roldan said.

At St. Gerard Majella School in Paterson, students and families came together to donate to the drive — one of many of its outreaches to the poor, said Filippini Sister Jo-Anne Pompa, its principal.

“School families and parishioners donated a tremendous amount of food. Our students are thankful for what they have and are learning about service to those people who don’t have as much as they have,” Sister Jo-Ann said.

A St. Gerard’s seventh-grader, Autumn Jackson, said, “I felt good inside” for her and her family having donated cans of food.

“I have things and I can give things to other people. That makes me feel happy. This also gives me the experience of understanding what they [Father English’s clients] are going through,” Jackson said.
 

[For information on how to help the food pantry, call (973) 279-7100, ext. 2203.]