FELICIAN CENTER FOOD PANTRY 1 Year COVID RESPONSE

The Felician Center Food Pantry has served nearly every week since the March 2020 formal COVID outbreak.  Volunteers and staff assisted Sister Johnna and Sister Carol to prepare the grocery bags for takeout distributions on Tuesdays. Sister Susanne managed the grants and donations to finance the ministry. Approximately 4000 households received food. Approximately $60,000 was spent. Funding for the food came from many sources. The Sisters of Charity SC Foundation, Duke Energy, Eastern Carolina Foundation, Central Carolina Foundation, One SC Fund, SC Knights of Columbus and EFSP were the major donors. Some local ecumenical churches, Catholic churches and Catholic Charities from the Diocese of Charleston, SC, local businesses, civic organizations, schools and numerous individual benefactors provided bag lunches, grocery gift cards, hams, canned goods and monetary donations.

The local IGA was especially cooperative with the orders, sometimes even with deliveries and other times included additional items. Thanks to other resources, the grocery bags sometimes included health items, cleaning supplies, masks and more. The Women in Philanthropy Group of Florence, SC, the Felician Sisters of North America and Felician Services Inc. were among the contributors. Most recently, 100 Smithfield hams were distributed for the Easter season. COVID-19 is not yet over but God’s amazing grace fills us with countless reasons to rejoice.