Jacksonville, Fla. – The Jacksonville Regional Office of Catholic Charities will be the recipient of 15,000 cans of food and/or other nonperishable food items next week from 20 area Catholic schools. The food drive, an annual event as part of Catholic Schools Week, is one of the largest food drives for the agency. Catholic Schools Week was held Jan. 27-Feb. 2.

More than 50 volunteers, including 20 students from St. Paul Catholic School in Jacksonville Beach will be involved in the pick-up, delivery and stocking of the food items on Monday, Feb. 4 from 9 a.m. to noon at Catholic Charities, 134 East Church Street.

The food will be used in Catholic Charities’ food pantry, which provides bags of groceries to those who come to the agency for emergency financial assistance, and those who come on Wednesdays and Fridays for public distribution.

“We rely on this project every year to help stock our shelves,” said Lisa Obringer, volunteer coordinator of the food pantry. “Last year our food pantry provided 46,035 meals to those in need in our community,” she continued.

“Every day that we share what God gives to us, is a gift back to God.  We want our children to understand that all we have is from God and giving back is a way to help others and to please God,” said Jan Magiera, principal of San José Catholic School. “Participating in food drives is just one way to help our children to grow in God’s love,” she added.

During its last fiscal year Catholic Charities served 18,071 people in Jacksonville, including 13,762 people through their Emergency Assistance Program. This program prevents homelessness by helping families in crisis stay safe in their home, by providing financial assistance for rent, mortgage or utilities payments. If you would like to organize a food drive or help Catholic Charities in another way, call Charlene Akers at (904) 354-4846, ext. 269.