St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry at St. Brendan Church and the Mary Ann Brett Food Pantry at St. Teresa of Calcutta Church are making a difference in Dorchester, but to continue to do so, they need the community’s help.
Earlier this year, the Friends of St. Brendan realized that the St. Vincent DePaul (SVdP) Food Pantry could have a greater impact if it were supported by those outside of the parish too.
“The larger community is not going [to church] on Sunday anymore,” said longtime St. Brendan parishioner John Parsons. “When you’re making a plea for food or a plea for donations, you’re only reaching a few hundred people, the same people every week. If we’re serious about getting food, we have to get the message out deeper into the community.”
With that in mind, the group partnered with John Stenson, the owner of the Eire Pub, and collaborated with the Irish Pastoral Center (IPC). The pantry is now taking donations of non-perishable items, all of which can be dropped off directly at the church or at IPC.
The most needed items include cereal, soup, rice, parmalat milk, pasta, and canned goods like tuna, chicken, and vegetables. The pantry also accepts charitable cash donations and grocery store gift cards.
Diane Bryne, the head of the SVdP chapter at St. Brendan’s said that people need help now more than ever.
“In today’s day and age with so many people either losing their job or their job income doesn’t help them or allow them to get through week to week, the food pantry will help subsidize these families with food,” said Byrne.
She added, “We’re hoping to get more involved with the community, so that it allows people to see that even within our own community, where people kind of have the idea that everyone here is in good shape, we really have a lot of individuals that are in need. It’s a way to get that message out.”
Thankfully, the people of Dorchester show up for each other in times of need.
Stenson told the Reporter, “There are people who are hurting out there, and I would rather take care of the people in my neighborhood before I reach out beyond. This place is a neighborhood place, it’s only here because of the neighborhood. They kept us in business for over 60 years.”
He added, “I would like to be able to provide help of some type to the people in the neighborhood who need it, and I think food is the most important thing for people to survive with.”
IPC executive director Mary Swanton shares in the natural desire to help her neighbors.
“We are Irish in Boston- neighbor helping neighbor is in our DNA,” said Swanton. “I think that hosting the collection at the Centre highlights our mission of helping the stranger among us.
Our tag line here is an Irish phrase ‘Anseo le cheile,’ which simply means ‘Here Together.’ We are delighted to partner with the Friends of St Brendan.”
On the other end of the neighborhood, the Mary Ann Brett Food Pantry is doing much of the same. They, too, rely on donations.
“We get X amount from the food bank as all food pantries do, but they will give you a limited amount because, unfortunately, they’ve been cut nationwide,” said Jim Brett, Mary Ann’s son and the leader of the pantry. “Food pantries don’t get as much as they did in the past. We do not take anything from government, we have a major fundraiser every year St. Patrick’s day weekend and we are able to raise ample amount of money so we can provide the nutritious food that our neighbors need.”
Every Saturday from 9 a.m. t0 11 a.m., the pantry distributes $100 worth of groceries to families in need.
“There is a lot of hurt out there, and we fill the gap. It’s a rewarding feeling,” said Brett, who credits the pantry’s success to his wife, Pattie. “Just this past weekend we had seven elderly people who live in an elderly complex in the neighborhood of Dorchester who had never been to our food pantry and they signed up. I asked two of them ‘Why are you here today? We’ve never seen your name on the list’, and they said because SNAP food stamps have been cut.”
With federal changes and the closing of local resources like the Daily Market, the food banks really do matter.
“I don’t know where we would be if we didn’t have these food pantries throughout the city,” added Brett. “They provide an extra helping hand to our neighbors who are struggling. Ninety percent of our clients who come through, they all work but they are making $18, probably $20 an hour. They’re not looking for a handout, they’re looking for a helping hand.”
Help goes beyond the kitchen too.
“It’s not just the food, it’s the diapers, it’s the clothes, the toiletries,” said Brett. “We also give them toys at Christmas and backpacks this time of the year. An extraordinary amount of goods that we give to the neighbors.”
While FOSB is focused on food right now, last spring the call was for clothing.
During Lent, the FOSB hosted a clothing collection where they were able to successfully secure over 500 bags of clothing all of which were dropped off at the IPC and distributed by the Boston Public Health Commission.
One of the leaders of this collection was John Parson’s son, Gabe Parson. The Parson father-son duo can see that they’re making a difference.
“Since the formation of the FOSB and our efforts to strengthen the church and its relationship with the community, it’s been a really really positive step forward,” said John. “Our neighborhood is only as strong as its institutions, and St. Brendan’s is the longest-standing institution of any kind in the Cedar Grove area.”
For more information about the St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry at St. Brendan Church email Dianne Byrne at Dlbyrne@comcast.net or Susan Allenm Sueallen1256@gmail.com.
If you are looking to get involved as a volunteer, donor, or recipient at the Mary Ann Brett Food Pantry visit the St. Theresa of Calcutta Church on Columbia Road Saturday mornings from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
