The simple white buildings in the parking lot of St. Anthony of Padua Church in Falls Church are filling a huge need for the parish’s active food pantry ministry. For years, the ministry has operated out of various corners of the parish grounds, utilizing spaces ill-equipped for food storage, including the priests’ covered parking.
“For the first time, we will be in a building built for a pantry,” said Ubaldo Cisneros, social ministry coordinator. “We are tremendously grateful. This new construction is a very nice building, very functional, (with) more space.” In front of parishioners and other community members, Bishop Michael F. Burbidge blessed the new pantry April 17.
“It’s a great honor for me to bless these buildings but most importantly, to bless your work, to bless your ministry,” he said. “It’s a ministry that unites us — our care for our brothers and sisters who are hungry, who are in need, who require our assistance. Today we are asking the Lord to continue to bless your work. We know that when we entrust our work to him, he will produce in miraculous ways.”
The St. Anthony food pantry serves 400 families a week on Mondays and Wednesdays. They also distribute food to day laborers and the homeless on Saturdays and provide meals to Catholic Charities Christ House in Alexandria. Aside from Cisneros, the ministry is volunteer run.
The Capital Area Food Bank primarily supplies the food, but the pantry also gets bread from Catholic Charities and other items from BJ’s, Panera Bread, Target and Trader Joe’s. Catholic Charities, which provides food to 90 entities through its St. Lucy Food Project, provided a $150,000 grant for St. Anthony’s new facility.
A year ago, parishioner Ignacio Maximo, who runs a construction company, built five smaller structures for the food pantry. The newer and larger sixth building is being used to organize the boxes for that day’s distribution, said Cisneros, though he hopes clients will one day walk through the building to grab their food. The parish also recently added new LED lighting and a sound system to the church and is currently refinishing their pews.
Cisneros is glad the new building will allow them to carry out their mission more efficiently. “It is not only the convenience of this new building, but we are fulfilling the commandment of Jesus,” he said to the crowd gathered for the blessing. “He asked us to feed the hungry and this commandment comes with a warning. If we don’t fulfill it, don’t expect to be with him in eternity. Pray for us that we may be up to fulfill the task that is entrusted to us.”
