If this is Monday, that means Viatorian associates at St. Viator Catholic Community in Las Vegas are gearing up to pack donated food goods — collected after weekend Masses — to take over to the food pantry at St. Thomas More Catholic Community.
Fr. Richard Rinn, left, with Fr. Dan Belanger
A new collaboration started this month between the two parishes, with Viatorians working together to feed the hungry in the area. St. Viator Parish has encouraged parishioners for years to donate food after weekend Masses, in order to help stock food pantries at Catholic Charities, the Las Vegas Catholic Worker and St. Therese HIV Outreach.
Now, Fr. Richard Rinn, CSV, Pastor, and Fr. Dan Belanger, CSV, Parochial Vicar, have decided to send the parish’s collections to the food pantry at St. Thomas More in nearby Henderson. Viatorian Associate Cheryl Schwarz runs the pantry, as the parish’s Director of Outreach Ministry, with the help of other associates.
“I love the idea,” she says. “We’re thrilled to work together. We have the food pantry, so why not?”
The food pantry feeds 30 families per week at St. Thomas More, Schwarz says. They literally shop for the food they need as if they are at a grocery store. If donations start to pile up, the excess food will be brought to Catholic Charities, Catholic Worker and St. John Neumann Catholic Church in North Las Vegas.
Associate Cheryl Schwarz helps unpack donations from St. Viator Parish.
The need continues to grow. According to the Southern Nevada Homelessness Continuum of Care and Clark County, the number of homeless in the Las Vegas area grew last year by 14%. In addition, the 2023 annual estimate for the number of people in Southern Nevada who will experience homelessness at some point during the year grew to more than 16,000.
Fr. Rinn and Fr. Belanger packed up the first week’s delivery of food to bring over to St. Thomas More, where Schwarz was waiting for them, but volunteers like Pre-Associate MIchele Aguiar are stepping up to make the delivery run going forward.
Another aspect of this new collaboration is making to-go bags for the homeless who stop at the two parishes, looking for services. These to-go bags will be stocked with snacks, hygiene items and small articles of clothing, such as socks, T-shirts and sweatshirts in the winter.
Viatorian associates in the region will be asked to donate items for these bags and then will work together to fill them, during regular regional meetings and prayer services.