Holy Name of Mary food pantry shelves swell for holidays, face sparse stock after

Local charities and service organizations are in the midst of the biggest giving season of the year — and are bracing for the lull that sometimes follows.

The Holy Name of Mary Parish Social Ministry Office welcomed its largest crowds of the year at its weekly food pantry, according to Sister Margie Kelly. She’s been at the helm of the parish’s social ministry program for more than three decades, and said the outpouring of donations around Thanksgiving usually produces full shelves.

“People really have been wonderful here in the past few weeks,” Kelly said. “We typically reach our high point around Christmas. We have boxes upon boxes of food coming in, and we’re really able to help make sure everyone that visits our pantry has more than they need around the holidays.”

But after the calendar turns to January, Kelly said, the shelves can become bare.

“When we really need donations is in January and February, after the giving spirit of the holidays has left us,” she explained. “It’s still winter, it’s still very, very cold outside, and people still need to be able to eat and put food on the table for their family.”

The most pressing needs for the pantry tend to be items that residents do not typically consider as items for a food pantry.

“Obviously, we take in all nonperishable food items, like canned goods, and we can usually take some frozen items,” Kelly said. “But what we need are things people don’t think of. All year round, people that come need paper goods. Things like coffee filters, paper towels and tissues.”

Kelly also said that around the holidays, visitors to the pantry enjoy being able to take some of the holiday spirit home with them.

“Some of the quickest things we run out of around this time of year are homemade baked goods,” she said. “It really shows the care and effort of the person that made the donation. People love being able to have a Christmas cookie or something like that. It makes them feel like a real part of the holiday.”

Kelly oversees other outreach programs for the parish, including the holiday gift donation. Parishioners were asked to adopt a family or individual and purchase gifts for them. The program is a popular one each year, among donors and recipients alike.

“We had a few dozen people sign up to receive gifts this year,” Kelly said. “Almost all of them have been accounted for. People have taken the information and we’re starting to get a lot of presents back.”

This year, the parish was lent a hand by students at North High School. The student council, under the supervision of advisor Karen Erlich, purchased gifts including toys, clothes, books, toys and household items to be distributed to three families as part of the gift drive. Kelly said receiving donations from the community is one of her favorite parts of the job.

“I think people truly do want to give back, but they just don’t know how to, and we want to make that process as easy as possible for people here in Valley Stream,” she said. “We have new volunteers visiting all the time, and many of them come back after they see how enjoyable it is. I love being able to show someone the impact they can have on another human being. It really is a special feeling.”

Kelly said that special feeling is what allows her to work so hard for the needs and wants of others, even as the stress of the holiday season mounts.

“I’ve been doing this for over thirty years and I really do love the work, I find it so rewarding,” she said. “People can be very hesitant to ask for help, and you can understand why. It’s hard to look someone else in the eye and say you can’t do it for yourself. So, when you are able to truly help someone, it’s a blessing.”