Catholic charities close food pantry, Father Pfleger takes it over

Father Michael Pfleger at Saint Sabina Church.

Vows to feed food insecure

Determined to continue feeding more than 900 people a month as he has done for years, Father Michael L. Pfleger is asking for your assistance by donating food products beginning the week of October 7, 2024, in time for the historic opening of St. Sabina’s food pantry on Monday, October 15th, at 1210 W. 78th Pl.

Having been informed that Catholic Charities was closing their food pantry at 1120 W. 79th St. as well as others, Father Pfleger said after prayer and talking to others, he decided to take over that building “so that those who depended on that pantry would not be abandoned,” he told the Chicago Crusader.

With Thanksgiving just 75 days away, Father Pfleger admitted he is walking on faith but is determined to fulfill his mission of feeding those who are food insecure. “No one in America should go to bed hungry or homeless,” said Father Pfleger. Not knowing how he will achieve this huge undertaking, Father Pfleger is asking for food donations.

According to the Greater Food Depository, there are 623,360 people who are hungry in Chicago. “For generations long before the pandemic, systemic inequities and racial injustice have led to higher rates of poverty and food insecurity among their Black and Latino neighbors,” officials from the Chicagosfoodbank.org stated on their website.

Knowing this, Father Pfleger is determined to continue the food pantry under the auspices of the St. Sabina Church, though he is not sure how he will do it because of an additional overwhelming anticipated budget it will take to operate this program.

Admitting it will be one of the biggest projects he’s faced so far, Father Pfleger vowed to continue the food pantry not just because of the 900 people he has been feeding but others like the city’s homeless and scores of migrants who also are food insecure.

According to Susan Thomas, the Archdiocese had nothing to do with the closure of several food pantries and pointed the finger at Catholic Charities.

When contacted, Sally Blount, president and CEO Executives-Operations Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago said, “These tough decisions were made to allow us to spend more time with the people we serve, more money on direct services to them, and less money on overhead. These hard decisions were part of our long-term, ongoing effort to deepen our impact. We will continue to serve at all of our community sites, including St. Sabina. We will just be employing a new, lower-overhead-cost.”

“As a humanitarian organization that served non-stop during the COVID-19 pandemic, this was an important time for our Board and staff to reflect, learn, and re-imagine together,” said Michael Monticello, Board Chair.

“Over the past year, we have come to understand that if we want to increase our impact over the years ahead, we must sharpen our strategic focus, while simultaneously reducing the time our staff spends navigating an increasingly complex and uncertain government funding environment.”

PFLEGER POINTING UJP BY ALTAR 9.29.24
Father Michael Pfleger

“This decision means that over the coming months, Catholic Charities will reduce its staff by roughly 300 employees: 280 who work across the affected government contracts and 20 in related administrative areas,” he said in a statement sent to this reporter.

“Caring for the nearly 1,000 staff who will continue to provide essential programs and services is also a top priority. “Carefully balancing the needs of the people, we are called and honored to serve with the needs of the amazing employees who serve them is critical to our mission,” said Blount.

But Father Pfleger’s mission is to meet the needs of those who are food insecure and not worry about profit. His goal is to follow the bible’s teaching about the poor. He often cites Matthew 25:35-28:20 (NIV) “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’”

To donate groceries and for further information, call the St. Sabina Church Office at 773.483.4300.

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