We wanted to update the parish on a new ministry we will be participating in more fully.

Catholic Charities has been supporting a food pantry from their offices on Joralemon Street to provide food staples to those in need.  As you can imagine, the number of those that are in need and food insecure has only grown during the pandemic. Catholic Charities offices are being renovated beginning in September, and the pantry needs a new home. St. Charles Borromeo has volunteered to run the pantry out of our church under the management of Catholic Charities so that we can continue to serve those that are in need. 

During the pandemic, about 20 volunteers from St. Charles have packed groceries for the food insecure at the main office of Catholic Charities. However, this function can no longer be housed at Catholic Charities due to construction work starting there in September. At the recommendation of the Parish Pastoral Council and following discussion with Fr. Smith and parishioners, St. Charles will be serve as the location for the bag packing and food distribution starting September 3.

Thank you to all of you who provided input and/or volunteered following Joe Genova’s presentation on August 16 at the end of Mass. If you missed it, we encourage you to watch it on YouTube as it describes how the pandemic has more severely impacted the thousands of households in Brooklyn that are poor and the moving experiences of our volunteers that have been involved with the grocery packing and distribution.

Food will be dropped off at St. Charles Borromeo on Wednesday morning, packed by volunteers at the church on Thursday morning, and then distributed outside the church starting around 9:30 a.m. on Thursday morning. Those wishing to receive the groceries will have already signed up with CCBQ and will line up in a socially distanced way on Aitken Place to wait their turn to receive the groceries.  Our own parishioners will also support CCBQ in the distribution of the canned and dry food goods. 

Please know that CCBQ provides support through this program to all regardless of their faith, all someone has to do is ask.

We don’t anticipate this new ministry to affect the scheduling of other parish events. We will still hold a weekday Mass on Wednesday at 12:10 p.m.

If you have any questions or would like to assist with the bag packing, please contact the rectory.