Welcome to St. Paul’s Pantry
At St. Paul’s, we are committed to supporting our community through sharing essential resources. St. Paul’s Pantry offers non-perishable food items, hygiene products, and school supplies to those in need. Our mission is to ensure that everyone has access to basic necessities in a dignified manner.
About St. Paul’s Pantry
Established with the help of students from Woodstock High’s essential skills class, St. Paul’s Pantry opened its doors to create an opportunity for neighbors to help neighbors by sharing food and toiletries. People can take what they need at no cost, and others can contribute items to keep the pantry stocked. This initiative reflects our church’s dedication to fostering a caring and supportive community.
How It Works
Accessing the Pantry:
- Availability: The pantry is accessible 24/7; however, availability of items depends on demand and donations.
- Items Offered: Non-perishable food items, hygiene products, and school supplies. Depending on weather, some perishable items may also be available.
- Cost: All items are free of charge, but we encourage people to be mindful of others may also need items.
Donating to the Pantry:
- Accepted Donations: Non-perishable food items, unopened hygiene products, and new or gently used school supplies. Suggested Items .
- Financial donations can also be made directly to St. Paul’s (designate such donations for the pantry) and put towards purchases for the Pantry. For more info, please speak with our pantry coordinator – Wendy Smith.
- Drop-off Location: Items can be placed directly in the pantry or dropped off at St. Paul’s during church hours.
Why It Matters
St. Paul’s Pantry is more than just a source of supplies; it’s a testament to our community’s spirit of generosity and care.Through this initiative, we:
- Support Neighbors: Providing essential items to those facing financial challenges.
- Promote Community Engagement: Encouraging a culture of sharing and volunteerism.
- Foster Dignity: Ensuring that everyone has access to basic necessities without barriers.
By donating, utilizing, or volunteering with St. Paul’s Pantry, you contribute to a compassionate and supportive community.
We want to make it easier for people to help one another when it comes to putting food on the table (or in bellies) and providing for other basic needs. We know it can be hard at times to stretch the cheque to cover all needs, especially with inflation. We hope the pantry can help ease the pinch a little.
But the pantry is meant to be a blessing in other ways. It’s a cupboard of convenience for those times when you discover you are missing an ingredient as you are making a supper, or you realize late at night you are out of a hygiene product or forgot an item at the grocery store. Let the pantry represent the neighbour that helps you out.
A Word of Gratitude for Woodstock High:
And speaking of help, we are very grateful to three talented Woodstock High School students – Jersey Foster, Alfie Hopkins, and Jaden Martin – for designing and building this pantry, under the guidance of Essential Skills program instructor Peter Belyea, so this pantry could go from a hope to a reality. Your repurposing of unused building materials, and your donation of materials you purchased enabled us to increase our initial pantry budget so we could add more items to the cupboard. So thank you for your generosity and care of the environment. And thank you to your classmates who helped you install the pantry on the church property. You are a blessing and answer to our prayers. You joined more than materials together to build a pantry… you opened a door for the neighbourhood to bless and be blessed through simple acts of compassion.
View photos taken during installation of pantry