The fully stocked cupboard of the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry at St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Horsham, helps feed needy neighbors in Montgomery County and Northwest Philadelphia.

Posted March 17, 2021

The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Horsham is helping to feed and give other support to as many as 100 families each week in Montgomery County.

As one of a small number of Catholic pantries in the Horsham area, many people depend on its services. The pantry has also been supported by help from the Montco Anti-Hunger Network.

When the pantry has an overabundance of food it shares its excess with several volunteer Catholic organizations across the county line in Northwest Philadelphia – including Our Lady of Hope Parish on North Broad Street, St. Raymond of Penafort Parish in Mount Airy and DePaul Homeless Shelters in Mount Airy and West Oak Lane.

The pantry has strong support from St. Catherine’s pastor, Father Joseph Rymdeika, more than 50 parish volunteers and other parishioners who donate food weekly to keep the pantry well stocked.

Additionally, the volunteers are supported by Horsham Township, the Greater Horsham Chamber of Commerce, the Horsham Interfaith Coalition, Horsham Police, ChATS/Town Watch/Neighbors Association and Horsham businesses. Recently a township clothes bank was opened with donations from Horsham Cleaners to help neighbors in need to spruce up their wardrobe — for free.

[hotblock]

St. Catherine of Siena also works with the neighboring St. Alphonsus Parish, Maple Glen, and its Helping the Needy charity. The two Catholic parishes work together to provide food, toys and furniture in Helping the Needy’s outreach to struggling families in the Kensington section of Philadelphia. It.

Helping the Needy also offers tutoring to students of three Philadelphia elementary schools and provide new beds in conjunction with Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry also enjoys a partnership with St. Catherine’s Parish Religious Education Program to supply breakfast packages to homeless shelters.

Volunteers with St. Catherine of Siena Parish’s food pantry help give away food at a recent drive-by event at the parish in Horsham, Montgomery County.

In addition, the La Salle High School class of 1972 helps to supply Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys to the pantry along with money and volunteer outreach to the De Paul facilities, Mother of Mercy House in East Kensington and other worthy causes.

The St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, its partners and the Horsham community not only are helping Montgomery County neighbors but also their brothers and sisters in Philadelphia, while living out the Catholic faith through the St. Vincent de Paul mission.