WSCAH’s 30th Anniversary

Board Member Barbara Wheeler sent us her thoughts about our benefit on November 10:

I know, you never thought you’d see those words together. That’s how I spent Tuesday night – at a food pantry banquet. To be specific, I attended the 30th anniversary of the food pantry at my church, the West Side Campaign Hunger. The pantry began in the upper floors of the church, with church members packing grocery bags of food for their neighbors who needed them. Neighbors would come to the church, and volunteers would carry the bags down the worn steps to the first level, delivering them to the hungry.

 Things have changed over time. Now the food pantry is in the basement of the church – more convenient for food deliveries and collection – and we have an elevator. Also, the West Side Campaign Against Hunger is now the largest food pantry in New York City. But some things remain the same: New Yorkers are still in need of emergency food, perhaps now more than every because of the Great Recession, and volunteers are making sure they get it.

 The West Side Campaign Against Hunger is a customer cooperative, meaning customers who come to the supermarket style pantry for food also volunteer to keep it operating. Volunteers help with deliveries, stock shelves, assist costumers and bag groceries. A food pantry is a lot of work and the volunteers make it all happen. Operating as a customer cooperative with the supermarket style pantry isn’t the only thing that makes the West Side Campaign Against Hunger stand out. The pantry is more than a pantry: It’s a place where the whole person is fed with counseling for other social services and opportunities for food-prep training.

You might wonder why I know so much about this place. First, I’m part of the United Methodist congregation that worships in the church – St. Paul and St. Andrew – where the West Side Campaign Against Hunger is located. Second and third, I’ve volunteered at the food pantry and I’m privileged to serve on its board of directors.

 This week’s banquet celebrated the pantry, its volunteers and its customers. I was lucky to sit at a table with one customer, Carmen, and her son Brian who appeared in the pantry’s 30th anniversary video. Carmen and my boyfriend, who attended the banquet with me, began a conversation about religion (what a topic to tackle while eating dinner in a church basement!). Carmen shared her struggle understanding how the Pope – a man adorned in fancy rings and robes – could relate to Jesus’ ministry with the poor. “Jesus wore sandals!” Carmen exclaimed. Interesting discussion and especially provoking considering so much support for the food pantry has come from the faith communities around it.

Carmen West and Brian

The rabbi accepting an award on behalf of his synagogue’s work with the food pantry explained how blessed the children of the congregation were to meet for services in the sacred space where the pantry operates during the week. A food pantry is a sacred space, one where many find themselves vulnerable, in need of assistance, and searching for the dignity they feel they’ve lost. They find that dignity at the West Side Campaign Against Hunger where our neighbors in need are still our neighbors, not statistics.