Food Pantry Spreads the Heart, Love and Soul
In Niagara Falls, N.Y., one food pantry is spreading the love to locals who need it. The Heart, Love and Soul Food Pantry serves up breakfast and lunch every weekday to 150 to 200 patrons.
The Sacred Heart Parish founded the food pantry more than 25 years ago. Its mission is to feed those in need and improve their quality of life. The St. Elizabeth Mission Society has helped donate funds toward this nonprofit organization and help those in need at home.
Not only does the pantry serve meals, they also help the patrons by giving them packaged goods, local produce, frozen meats and toiletry supplies. Wegmans provides these goods for the families. Tops, Panera and Wegmans also provide day-old bread and pastries for the kitchen.
“It’s a beautiful, clean building,” said Sister Rosa Mystica Niedda, one of the sisters who helps run the food pantry. “The guests take great pride in being there. There’s a lot of respect there.”
The H&S food pantry has grown so well known in the area that people from nearby make donations without the organization even asking. Any clothing they receive is given away to patrons, and any food they receive is added to the pantry.
The entire organization is all volunteer based. Students from Niagara University help serve meals during the week.
Because the organization’s mission is to help improve the quality of life in the area, it has started exercise programs for locals. In a six-week period, women are invited to exercise classes, and if they lose weight, they will be given a new wardrobe from Lane Bryant.
“It’s just a wonderful organization,” Sister Rosa Mystica said.
