Several Catholic food pantries in the country, including the Guadalupe Center in Houston, TX, show concerns about the rising demand for their services due to inflation.
Inflation Effect on Pantries
The Catholic News Agency reported on the cause of inflations to the food pantries of America. It is said that this is the highest level of inflation the country has ever experienced for the last 40 years, and the food providers heavily feel the effects.
It added that this year alone, the prices for groceries increased to more than 10% of last year. The same numbers are reflected in the report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The report said that the Catholic pantries are important to Americans, regardless of their religion, as they are the institutions that help people in need by bringing food to the table.
Food banks in different states reported that their grocery bills have more than doubled while the number of families depending on their services increases more and more.
Catholic Charities, an institution that manages over 1,000 food banks across the United States, shares the same sentiment.
Second Harvest Food Bank's President and CEO Natalie Jayroe said that there had been an increase in anxiety and need among the people that started with the pandemic.
She also said that apart from the inflation, their food bank, in particular, faces problems with the federal money allocation running dry because of the high demand.
Guadalupe Center Food Pantry
According to the Volunteer Houston website, the Guadalupe Center Food Pantry is operated under the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
The pantry is open on Sundays and provides everything from food, clothing, household donations, and more.
The organization calls for volunteers on Fridays before the "Food Fair Sundays" to help the church to sort out the items for donation.
As mentioned, the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is an organization that asses the people of the community facing issues regarding self-sufficiency.
The charity organization provides services to southeast Texas and works with churches and communities for the same cause.
Apart from the Guadalupe Center Food Pantry, the organization offers counseling, disaster recovery, legal assistance, seniors and veterans services, refugee resettlement, and more.
Catholic Charities USA
The Catholic Charities USA or CCUSA is an organization that has been serving people in poverty for more than a century.
According to its page, the CCUSA started in 1910 from a gathering at the Catholic University of America to found the then-called National Conference of Catholic Charities (NCCC).
The conference aimed to streamline and bring solidarity to the charitable ministries to better assist the church in its mission to be an "attorney for the poor."
The organization started with Msgr. John O'Grady as its founder and first executive secretary.
Through the founder, the CCUSA had a good foundation that professionalized the staff, established diocesan charity agencies, and advocated for the people in need.
Sr. Donna Markham OP, Ph.D., is the organization's current president and has been in the position since 2015.
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