Pantries a partnership of LDS and Catholic Charities

When it comes to feeding hungry Oregonians, Catholic Charities and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are close partners.

Catholic Charities’ community services programs offer support to help individuals and families achieve stable housing and thrive within their communities. Programs are tailored to meet the unique needs of low-income, immigrant, and refugee families, including critical resources like application assistance, health care access, on-site service coordination – and food.

The Catholic Charities community services team operates 9 food pantries supported by the Bishops’ Storehouse, a massive project of the Latter-day Saints. The pantries serve nearly 400 individuals per week.

*Sarah Joan Salvador loads food into the Catholic Charities van at the Bishops’ Storehouse, a food bank operated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.*

A survey of food recipients shows how vital the service is. About 73% say they eat more healthily because of the food pantries, which include fresh fruits and vegetables. Almost 8-in-10 reported feeling less stressed about having enough food since visiting the monthly food pantry. And 86% say their in-building pantry is the only one they visit, citing lack of mobility and transport as the reason.

Here are more findings from the survey:

The average age for the head of household is 60.4 years.
More than a quarter of recipients are under age 18.
A third of recipients are 65 or older.
More than 85% of recipients are from the U.S., with others coming from countries such as Mexico, Ukraine, Russia, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Philippines, Romania, Peru, Cuba, and Canada.
Almost 89% were English speakers.
4-in-5 recipients come monthly for food.
6-in-10 recipients said the food they pick up lasts for one or two weeks. Most of the rest said it gets eaten up sooner.

Residents are overwhelmingly positive about the pantries. On average, they rated the quality of the food at 9.1 out of 10. They also cited other factors like finances and health.

“Good variety of fresh produce, canned goods, meats, dairy, and cleaning, storage, and personal hygiene items,” said one resident.

“The pantry helps people get by with inflation,” another explained.

“I am eating better because I usually can’t afford meat and basics,” said another.

Beatrice Endler, health outreach supervisor for Catholic Charities of Oregon, presents a thank you card to a delegation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The card was signed by residents of Sacred Heart Villa, one of 9 Catholic Charities housing sites where food pantries are stocked with supplies from the LDS Bishops’ Storehouse in Portland.

One recipient summed up the experience of many: “The pantry is extremely helpful with helping me make it longer throughout the month without running out of food.”

Volunteers from the LDS community also have been key in Catholic Charities’ refugee resettlement program. LDS teams have welcomed refugees at the airport and helped move families into apartments.

The Latter-day Saints also have given large grants for the work being done by Catholic Charities, including for food and refugee resettlement.

“Our partnership with the Latter-day Saints exemplifies the power of collaboration between organizations sharing a common passion,” said Rose Bak, chief operating officer for Catholic Charities of Oregon.