Saint Luke Parish

The VISION of HOSL Ministry

Building a community where no one goes hungry through the collection, distribution, and rescue of surplus food in our local community.

The MISSION of HOLS Ministry

The Hands of St. Luke Food Pantry operates within St. Luke Parish, which holds non-profit status 501(c)(3). Its mission is to act as an intermediary in collecting and distributing food and other necessities to those in need in our local community and supporting the work of Catholic Charities within the Diocese of Paterson.

We accept donations of nonperishable food and gift cards from our parishioners and other people of goodwill. Additionally, we have a group of active volunteers who act as ‘food rescuers,’ collecting perishable and non-perishable food that would otherwise be discarded. With ample refrigerator/freezer capacity, we store food for distribution to local and inner-city food pantries within the Diocese.

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We welcome any donations you can make. They may be dropped off daily during the church’s operational hours and placed on the food rack in the Narthex.

We appreciate your support and the love that you can share with so many people in need. We have donated over 25,000 pounds of food in the past year and we are gratified that together we can make a difference.

The need for assistance – food, personal items, and household goods – among the working poor has grown dramatically over the past few years. So, we are asking St. Luke parishioners to set up a regular schedule – weekly, biweekly, etc. – for contributing to the food pantry through the Hands of St. Luke. Let the schedule match your regular activities and your budget. It’s simple. Just take part in the blue bag swap. Pick up an empty, blue, Hands of St. Luke bag in the narthex and bring it home. Fill it with your donations and return it according to your schedule. Swap it for an empty bag, and repeat the cycle. You will be helping so many in need.

Thank you for being part of the blue bag brigade. God Bless!

Always welcome:

* Non-perishable items, canned goods of all sorts such as rice, beans, cereals, oatmeal, flour, sugar, baking needs, pastas, canned fruits, hearty soups, jarred sauces, boxed milk, individual drink cartons, condiments, and oils. (Drop of the items to the collection racks in the St. Luke Parish narthex.)

* Food gift cards are greatly appreciated and can be deposited in the drop box in the narthex.  

* Volunteers to help organize, stock our pantry, and ship food to our recipient organizations are always welcomed. Youth can earn service credit for volunteer hours.