Parents who visit the Alexandria Christ
House food pantry each week are taking home food pantry staples alongside kid-approved
snacks such as granola bars, popcorn and fruit cups. A prayer card is tucked
inside each Summer Kid’s Meal Package — a grab bag of tasty snacks often
packaged by other kids from parishes such as St. Agnes Church in Arlington, the
Basilica of St. Mary in Alexandria, St. James Church in Falls Church and St.
Luke Church in McLean.
“The students of the parishes collect
all the supplies, they pack it and they deliver it here,” said La Sallette
Sister Aniliza (Annie) P. Juan, Christ House volunteer coordinator. “This is a
wonderful project for the children because they are encouraged to give to the
kids who don’t have the opportunities they do.”
As with other food pantries, Christ
House has seen an increase in need. Though the demand peaked in late spring, the
pantry still distributes twice the number of food as it did before the
pandemic. “We used to serve 30 to 40 families, now we serve 60 to 80 every
week,” said Sister Annie. She and the other volunteers hope to extend the
summer program into September.
