St. Theresa Catholic Church has a food pantry that is open to the public.
PANTRY HOURS
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday:
10 a.m. – 1:45 p.m.
Monday, April 1 – Closed
(Closed holidays, holy days, and weather related St. Theresa School or church office closings)
We are a supplemental/emergency pantry staffed by caring volunteers.
We offer a wide variety of fresh, frozen, canned, and packaged food, along with personal care products. Eligible households can access the pantry once per month.
LOCATION
St. Theresa Catholic Church Office
1230 Merle Hay Rd (NW corner of University and Merle Hay Rd), Des Moines, Iowa
The pantry is located in the church office (the building north of the church). Park in the semi-circle drive accessed off Merle Hay Road. After you park, take the diagonal sidewalk to the church office door. Ring the doorbell to be served.
St Theresa Food Pantry adheres to USDA Nondiscrimination Policies:
https://www.fns.usda.gov/civil-rights/usda-nondiscrimination-statement-other-fns-programs
St Theresa Food Pantry is a member agency of the Food Bank of Iowa www.foodbankiowa.org
The St. Theresa Food Pantry (STFP) was started in 2009 as a way of serving people in need who come to St. Theresa looking for help. For parishioners who don’t know St. Theresa runs a food pantry out of the church office, here are some frequently asked questions we get about our pantry.
Why does St. Theresa have a food pantry?
As St. Theresa is on a busy intersection of two major streets, we have always had people come to our church looking for help. The St. Theresa Food Pantry (STFP) was started to live the gospel mandate to feed the hungry and welcome the stranger. Our pantry is a supplemental/ emergency pantry. The STFP is located in the church office and serves over 200 families each month. Additionally, we work with St. Theresa Catholic School staff to serve school families weekly who are in need of food assistance.
Does the food that is collected on the 3rd Sunday of the month at Masses go to the STFP?
No, the food and monies collected during Food Pantry Sunday each month is distributed to Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC), who run 14 pantries throughout the Des Moines area. When the STFP was started in 2009, one of the founding principles was that STFP would not detract in any way from St Theresa’s commitment to DMARC. We encourage people to utilize a DMARC pantry first, but we recognize that some families need more than 3 days of food assistance a month. The STFP obtains most of our food from the Food Bank of Iowa (FBOI) at a minimal cost. We also use our funds to buy personal care products, which are so needed by our pantry guests.
How is the St Theresa Food Pantry funded?
The STFP is funded solely by private donations and we regularly receive grants to fund STFP needs like the cost of the space renovation, the construction of the outside waiting area, and full pantry operating costs during the pandemic. Additionally, the STFP is blest with so many St. Theresa parishioners who regularly volunteer to serve pantry guests, help with FBOI pickups/deliveries and pantry construction needs in the parish office, and who donate money, food and personal care products.
How can I help? What does the STFP need?
We always can use more toilet paper! This is a great way for parishioners to support our pantry. And we are always in need of compassionate volunteers to help staff the pantry or help with food bank deliveries. Currently there are over 30 St. Theresa parishioners who regularly volunteer at the pantry. Contact Anita at stdsmfoodpantry@gmail.com for more information about the St. Theresa Food Pantry.