Approximately 130 members of families in need came to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Bank for North Orange County on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at St. Irenaeus Church to receive food that had been purchased by H.O.P.E. and food that were donated by parishioners, businesses, and individuals. The official time of the Food Bank is 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on the first and third Saturdays of the month, but H.O.P.E. volunteers were in the Education Building of St. Irenaeus Church before 7:00 a.m. preparing to register families for the Food Bank and setting up tables for the food distribution outside.
Many family members came early and waited outside the building with their shopping carts to carry the food they would receive. As families arrived, they received a numbered ticket that was used, by lottery, to select which persons would be going into the Education Building in what order. In the Education Building, people then registered for the Food Bank and received another ticket so they could go to tables to select the food that they wanted.
Families could select shelf stable food, fresh produce, frozen foods, and bakery products that had been collected by H.O.P.E. volunteers from businesses including Second Harvest, Pizza Hut, Costco, Olive Garden, and other businesses. Parishioners of St. Irenaeus Church and students from John F. Kennedy High School and St. Joseph High School helped to distribute the food this week. Students from other local schools have helped in the past.
H.O.P.E. members thank everyone who donated funds or who volunteered to serve others at the April 6, 2024, Food Bank.
They pray that people will continue to support the H.O.P.E. Food Bank with food donations or monetary donations to Help Other People Everyday! H.O.P.E. volunteers are already collecting food for their next Food Bank distribution of food on Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. at the Education Building at St. Irenaeus Church. Volunteers are always welcome to come and help with food distribution.
H.O.P.E. invites anyone who would like to help raise funds to purchase items not provided by USDA to come to the H.O.P.E. Fundraiser at Knott’s Berry Farm on Saturday, April 27, 2024, with cocktails at 6:00 p.m., Dinner at 7:00 p.m., and Dancing with Entertainment by the Ohio Trio Plus Band until 10:30. p.m. Tickets will be available at the Church Patio area on the weekends of April13-14 and April 20-21 for $65.00 each, or contact Val Cordova at 714-917-5798, or Bob Sgobba at 714-994-0743 for tickets.
