The Hunger Center

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The Hunger Center was formed in 1982 to meet the growing needs of the neighborhood The most significant event of Fr. Burg's brief pastorate was the establishment of the parish Hunger Center.

The St. Vincent de Paul Society had been working to meet increasing needs through donations made in the alms boxes. Food baskets were regularly distributed at Thanksgiving and Christmas, but as need increased, other ways of raising funds had to be found. In 1972 parish "Giving Masses" were started. On a weeknight, about a week before Thanksgiving and again before Christmas, parishioners were invited to a special Mass. They brought food for the needy, which was given as part of the offertory procession. Eventually this practice fell short of the need, and an envelope for the St. Vincent de Paul Society was placed in the November and December packets. This way everyone in the parish could help, not just those who came to the Giving Mass.

By 1982 the needs of the neighborhood had outgrown Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets and other sporadic help. Fr. Russ Banner, an associate, started working with Carol Lesniak and others in the parish to develop a more comprehensive program that could deliver food on a daily basis. In February 1983, a call went out to the parish for donations of used refrigerators and freezers. These were placed in a house the parish owned on the north side of the convent.

Fr. Banner and Mrs. Lesniak started recruiting and training volunteers from the parish to obtain and store the needed food, interview those requesting assistance, and pack and deliver the boxes of food. Training centered on sensitivity to the needs of others, confidentiality and the tact required to say "no" if necessary.

More food was needed to run this expanded program. "Giving Sunday," the third Sunday of the month, was established. Every month the Hunger Center let parishioners know what kinds of food were needed. This food was brought to Mass and presented during the offertory procession. Special effort was still exerted at Thanksgiving and Christmas because of the hundreds of boxes that would be delivered during the holidays.

A little over a year later, a Hunger Center envelope was added to the monthly packet. With these monthly donations, the Hunger Center purchased food at bargain rates from food banks and similar outlets. Every Wednesday the parish truck, driven first by Frank Visi and now by Ed Schnupp, travels around stocking up on food.

The parish Hunger Center is a remarkable group. Through it the parish, relying almost entirely on its own resources, is able to respond to the needs of the people in the neighborhood. In doing so it breaks down barriers that might exist to the parish or the Church.

Teens Help, Too

The Teen Group of the parish also joined in reaching out to the surrounding community. Under the direction of Fr. Bob Lindquist, the group had grown strong and was helping in different ways. They volunteered to paint the houses of parishioners or to clean their yards. For two years in a row, they helped out at the soup kitchen at St. Patrick's on Bridge during the holidays.

Over the years the youth of the parish have been recognized for their many accomplishments. Throughout its existence, the parish Drill Team has won award after award, even retiring the Chambers Trophy after winning it three years in a row. The Hi Club won first place in a diocesan drama contest in 1941 with the one-act play "Our Lady's Tumblers." Later, when they entered floats in the St. Patrick's Day Parade, they continued to win awards, as did the Young Adults Club. The parish trophy cases are filled to overflowing with athletic awards, from wrestling to softball, football to cheerleading, track to basketball to volleyball. Academically the young people have won in spelling, math, oratory and many other fields. There are many scholarships awarded to graduating eighth graders and several students have become National Merit Scholarship winners.