St. Matthew-Trinity Lutheran Church, Pawtucket, RI

The Food Pantry at St. Matthew Trinity Lutheran began in the trunk of a church member's car during the Rhode Island banking crisis of January 1991. By mid 1995, the pantry was located in the upper Fellowship Hall and the basement. Local need had grown by late 1999 to move the pantry to the former library area to the east end of the Fellowship Hall.
During the last 18 years, the pantry has grown to serve 1, 575 needy Pawtucket residents each month. In a humane way, every client receives fresh vegetables, canned protein, snack items, cereal, bakery goods, and health and beauty aids.
Through the kindness of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, the church is able to purchase food at 13 cents per pound. In addition, the graceful donations of church members has helped sustain the mission. Donations would include money gifts, volunteers unloading trucks every Thursday, cleaning the Fellowship Hall every Friday, and bagging groceries on Sunday mornings.
In addition, corporate sponsorship from the local community has greatly increased the food pantry's buying power. Local Roman Catholic and Protestant churches , such as St. Teresa of the Child Jesus and First Baptist in Pawtucket and St. Mary's Syrian Antiochian in Pawtucket exemplify churches that graciously donated over the years.
The Food Pantry at St. Matthew Trinity Lutheran is open every Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon, and every second and fourth Sunday of the month from 11 a.m. to noon.
Volunteers to help unload trucks, clean the Fellowship Hall, and bagging groceries are always needed. New ideas for fund raising are wanted.
Food donations desperately needed are breakfast cereals, peanut butter and jelly, canned protein such as spaghetti, canned tuna and canned beans, and baby foods and health, and beauty aids are always welcome.
For more information how to help contact Jim or Becky at (401) 728-1091 or e-mail them at jamesmatuszek@cox.net or rmatuszek@rwmc.org.
As always, your kindness is always appreciated.

The food pantry numbers have dropped since March 2009. About 300 fewer people are using the food pantry each month, as 1,500 Pawtucket residents use the facility. One reason given for the drop: better access to Food Stamps, especially from single males. Items needed from the congregation for the food pantry: breakfast cereal, Pop Tarts, and peanut butter and jelly as well as baby food. The most interesting food pantry donation of the summer: the Diocese of Providence along with Project Hope and the Federal Emergency Management Agency gave $1,000. We thank these groups for their kindness and consideration. Homeless people living under bridges in Providence and East Providence have been removed by their respective cities and the state courts. As the Route 195 underpasses are being demolished for the new I-way, the homeless used the areas since January 2009. Where are the homeless now living? Check out Kennedy Plaza in downtown Providence as the homeless relocated under fountains and below the statue of Civil War hero Ambrose Burnside.