Thy daily bread: Give through St. Francis House

I had the distinct honor and pleasure to spend the morning recently with the team at St. Francis House Food Pantry, Catholic Social Services (CSS)’s long-time food pantry. St. Francis House is where our archdiocese collectively helps feed the hungry of the greater Anchorage area through CSS. St. Francis House Food Pantry has been feeding the hungry since nearly as far back as the establishment of the Archdiocese of Anchorage in 1966. 

St. Francis House has over the years become Alaska’s largest daily operating food pantry. Despite what may often seem like a society with plenty, there is a real need and real food insecurity right here in Alaska. Last year alone, CSS provided food to 4,775 households and 13,953 individuals while distributing nearly 800,000 pounds of food. We provide food to these families and individuals through our collaboration with the Food Bank of Alaska, other local retailers and providers including Costco, programs through the US Department of Agriculture and through the generous donations from parish food drives, and from individuals and families across the archdiocese.

As you can imagine, running an operation of this size daily takes a large organization, which includes a program manager and full-time staff, backed up by many volunteers who come to work at the pantry every day or multiple days a week. These volunteers give generously of their resources and their time and are the real backbone and heroes of the work we do.

I spent time helping out this past month, both in recognition of September as “Hunger Action” month but also to get out in the field and to better understand the hands-on work that goes into what CSS does to lift up the least among us. I encountered so many individuals in need from young children, moms, and dads, to veterans, disabled, and many elderly of every race, creed, and color. 

At St. Francis House, people arrive in cars and wait patiently as the staff goes through a rather complex process of registering and accounting for the distribution required by some federal programs. Many people arrive by public transportation at the bus stop on the corner and then have to lug their food in backpacks or by any means possible. Everyone I encountered was patient, polite, thankful for our service, and often left us with a “God bless.” 

The work was heartwarming and humbling to say the least. For me, someone who has never wondered where a meal will come from for me or my family, even one day in my life, it was life affirming and a reminder of what God has always called me to do throughout my life. Recently, I was moved by the words of our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV when he reminded us in his homily on the eve of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: “In Jesus Christ, God chose the humblest of circumstances and the humblest of creatures, Mary, to reveal the originality of His Kingdom, in which arrogance has no place and omnipotence means creation, service, and care for life.”

Please think of our brothers and sisters and the work at St. Francis House Food Pantry on your next trip to the grocery store. Pick up an extra bag of shelf-stable boxed or canned food and drop it by St. Francis House at 3710 E. 20th Street in Anchorage any time from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Monday-Friday. We’ll be sure to put it to good use.