As an expansion of their partnership, Catholic Charities will operate a food pantry during the month of August while the St. Mary’s Tileston Outreach temporarily closes. Families will be able to receive food from the Catholic Charities location at the Harrelson Center on 4th Street in Wilmington from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
Emilie Hart, Catholic Charities Cape Fear Regional Director, commented on this partnership, “Sister Isaac and I felt it was important to work together to serve the community in this way. Many low-income families rely on emergency food assistance to feed their families and we didn’t want them to go without these services in August.”
Throughout the year, St. Mary’s Tileston Outreach serves the Wilmington community by providing food, clothing, hygiene products, household items, furniture and finances. In FY 2016, about 7,000 individuals received assistance with an average of 35 individuals served a day.
Catholic Charities partners with St. Mary’s Tileston Outreach to provide support for families receiving immediate assistance. Every other week, Patricia Gutierrez, Catholic Charities’ case manager organizes a presentation for clients about community resources, distributes a job list, and schedules appointments with individuals who have complex needs that can be addressed through case management and advocacy.
During the month of August, St. Mary’s Tileston Outreach closes to allow staff time to pray, meditate, paint, and clean the outreach space. This time ensures that the environment is always inviting to the guests who utilize the services.
A combination of a grant from St. Mary’s Tileston Outreach and several front porch food drives, which have resulted in hundreds of pounds of food donations, will provide the resources to provide meals to families during this time.