People attending the Holy Thursday service at St. Joseph Cathedral in Burlington donated food to be given to The North End Food Pantry as part of the diocesan-wide St. Joseph the Provider Feed the Hungry Initiative.

“We had a lot of food,” but it was not weighed to determine exactly how much, reported Dorothy Barewicz, business manager/accountant for the cathedral parish. “It was two very large trunks full of food.”

Supporters of the effort also contributed $427 in cash for the North End Food Pantry, located in the New North End, which offers bags of free food to anyone who needs it.

In announcing the food initiative, Burlington Bishop Christopher Coyne, said “Due to the pandemic, nearly 30 percent of Vermonters have been experiencing food insecurity since March 2020. I began the St. Joseph the Provider Feed the Hungry Initiative to harness the goodwill of the Catholic community through our 68 parishes to increase food donations and volunteer capacity at food shelves throughout the state so no one goes hungry. Together, the Catholic community can make a huge difference and answer the call to care for the most vulnerable among us.”

As part of the St. Joseph the Provider Feed the Hungry Initiative parishioners are asked to pray, volunteer for food programs and donate food to agencies that address food insecurity.