Catholic Charities celebrates new location for Lovejoy Food Pantry

Catholic Charities of Buffalo celebrated the opening of a new location for its Lovejoy Food Pantry. Now located at 118 Schiller St., Buffalo, the Lovejoy Food Pantry relocated across the parking lot from its former North Ogden Street location to provide an updated and accessible space to better meet the needs of individuals and families in the community experiencing food insecurity.

The new site, located in the rectory of St. Katharine Drexel Parish, offers a welcoming area for clients and more efficient and safer storage space.

“Today is the result of hard work of many many hands from our wonderful pantry staff and volunteers, and the moving crew of course, and the support of St. Katharine Drexel Parish and Father Cole Webster, along with FeedMore WNY. Together we truly make great things happen,” said Julie Lulek, senior director of Catholic Charities, at the Sept. 30 blessing and dedication.

 The original pantry opened in 1990 and served 2,500 households last year. It is one of nine Catholic Charities pantries in Western New York stocked with donations from Feedmore WNY, parish groups and individuals.

“We were looking at the campus back in the springtime trying to figure out ways to make it safer and more efficient. Really, we were coming up against it because it’s an old building,” explained Deacon Steve Schumer, president and CEO, of Catholic Charities. “Father Cole said, ‘The garage is empty and the front part of the rectory is empty. We could probably come up with a way.’ So, kudos to Father Cole for coming up with a way.” 

Blessing the new pantry was a full circle moment for Father Webster, pastor of the Greater East Buffalo Family of Parishes which includes St. Katharine Drexel Parish. He had volunteered at the original pantry when he was fresh out of college.  

“Not going to school for the first time in my life, I got bored. So, I started volunteering with Catholic Charities here at the Lovejoy Food Pantry,” he said. “Kind of ironic, how many years later, here I am in its new location as the pastor of the parish to bless it. God can really do amazing things for us if we just open up our hearts to Him to wherever He may lead us.”

After blessing the new space, Father Webster reflected on his 10-month tenure as a pantry volunteer.

 “I was just working at the time. I was thinking, how can I be of more service? How can I give of myself? So, I reached out to Catholic Charities. They connected me with a couple different places of my interest. This being one of them. So, I said all right. It was just helping stock shelves, unloading boxes, doing some computer work. I did learn about the whole process of receiving a client and how that works.”

Now he’s glad to give back to Catholic Charities.

“I’m happy God put me here in order to make this location stay here in the community,” he said. “Having our parish able to support their ministry and their outreach is a really fantastic feeling.”

The pantry serves the diverse population of Lovejoy, including families, the elderly, and a growing Muslim population.

Each of Catholic Charities pantries has emergency food and offers information and referrals. Trained volunteers assess and help those in need through these centers.

Catholic Charities is able to offer more client choice, whether meeting special dietary needs or offering culturally-appropriate foods. Catholic Charities’ Lovejoy Food Pantry is open Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and 12:30-2:30 p.m.