Hunger
Whether they are a block away, or on the other side of the world, God urges us to feed those who are hungry. Gloria Dei responds by collecting for our local food shelves, by cooking meals for shelters, by garden shares and by sending financial support. Join us! Hunger outreach efforts offer a unique opportunity to engage and teach your entire family – from the oldest to the youngest children – the importance of helping our local and global communities.
hunger outreach programs
Gloria Dei gathers groceries regularly for our neighbors who are hungry. We support the following food shelves:
Neighborhood House Food Market
Located here in Highland Park, Neighborhood House Food Market serves over 1,500 individuals in our local neighborhood including many new immigrants. Each year we have a special month-long collection for for the market as part of the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign. You will find large, red containers at our parking lot entrance accepting donations any time.
Keystone Food Market
The Keystone Basic Needs Program helps feed the hungry and assists people in crisis in a large service area in Ramsey County — from downtown St. Paul to Roseville, from Little Canada to the Midway and the North End neighborhoods of St. Paul. We do a special collection each year around Thanksgiving to support Keystone Food Market.
On the fourth Wednesday of even-numbered months, volunteers from Gloria Dei feed those who are hungry at the Dorothy Day Center in downtown St. Paul (183 Old 6th St. W.). In less than 90 minutes, we feed approximately 325 people!
One team of volunteers gathers from 1:30-3:00 pm, to prepare a nutritious meal. A second team arrives at 4:00 pm to serve the meal to the guests. Volunteer and serve just one time to learn about how to feed the hungry, or join us as often as six times per year. Sign up.
Giving Garden
Giving Garden Volunteers plant, tend, and harvest the raised vegetable garden beds in the boulevard along Highland Parkway. The vegetables grown in the Giving Garden are donated to Francis Basket Food Market, providing fresh produce for hungry neighbors living along West Seventh Street.
What is the Weekend Backpack Program?
Started in 2015, the Weekend Backpack program is a partnership between Gloria Dei and Highland Park Elementary School in St. Paul. The Weekend Backpack Program provides children with demonstrated need nutritious food for the weekend. The goal is to help reduce childhood hunger in our community.
The Weekend Backpack Program is run entirely by volunteers. The only cost to the program is the purchase of food. Each year we have seen a growing need for this program at Highland Park Elementary School. Last year 72% of their students qualified for free or reduced lunch. The team delivered 150 food bags each week, providing food to 33% of the student population.
How can you be a Part of the Weekend Backpack Program?
Volunteer
Bag Packers:
Food bags are packed in Room 100 during the Sunday School hour. Generally, Sunday School classes take care of packing the food bags needed for delivery.
This year there is a need for adult/congregational volunteers to help on several Sundays. Packing will take place in Room 100 at 9:30. Packing will take less than an hour. If you are interested in helping, sign up here.
For more information or questions about the packing, please contact Angie Sherwood.
Helpers to Deliver and Distribute Food Bags:
Food bags are delivered to the school on the last day of each school week. (Note: Although mostly Friday mornings, there is need for volunteers on some Wednesdays and Thursdays throughout the year.)
Volunteers who are part of the Delivery Team pick up the food bags at Gloria Dei at
9:00 a.m. am and deliver them to Highland Park Elementary School. They stay to help the rest of the volunteers distribute the bags to individual students.
Volunteers who distribute meet at Highland Park Elementary at 9:15 a.m. and distribute the food bags to all students enrolled in the program. Distribution takes less than an hour. If you are interested in helping with either job, sign up here.
Donate
Monetary Gifts:
Second Offering in September is designated for the Weekend Backpack Program.
Interested in sponsoring one child for a month or a school year? Cost would be about $10/month or $100/school year.
Interested in sponsoring one week of food for the program? Cost would be about $450.
Monetary gifts are welcome any time of the year. Please indicate on your donation that it is for the Weekend Backpack Program.