The donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Nutritional Development Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia was made possible through Catholic Charities USA, the national office for the Catholic Charities ministry nationwide.
Nutritional Development Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (NDS) recently received a donation of nearly 40,000 pounds of non-perishable food items from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah. This donation, which has been administered nationally in collaboration with Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), will provide critical support to individuals and families across the Greater Philadelphia region who are in need of nourishing sustenance in the face of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
In partnership with Caring for Friends, the donated food items were delivered for storage to the Caring for Friends warehouse in Northeast Philadelphia. The food will benefit NDS’ Community Food Program and help stock the shelves of its network of food cupboards throughout the five county metropolitan area comprising the Archdiocese. Donated items will also benefit Caring for Friends which distributes meals and food to seniors, disabled, homeless, and families with children in need.
Ms. Lizanne Hagedorn, Executive Director of NDS, Mr. James Amato, Secretary for Catholic Human Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and Mr. Vincent Schiavone, Executive Board Chair of Caring for Friends were on hand for this charitable moment. They were joined by Elder Vai Sikahema, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Deputy Mayor Cynthia Figueroa, Philadelphia City Councilman Bobby Henon, and community partners and supporters.
“Our food pantries are providing vital sustenance to an unprecedented number of individuals and families during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Sister Donna Markham OP, PhD, president & CEO of Catholic Charities USA. “The generous donation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints helps us provide life-sustaining assistance and is a reflection of our shared mission to reach out to the most vulnerable with kindness and compassion.”
Since the onset of the pandemic, NDS has provided food and food-related resources to individuals, seniors, families, and children in need. Through its daily activities, NDS actualizes the Gospel story of the miracle of the loaves and the fishes.
Lizanne Hagedorn, Executive Director of NDS said, “For nearly five decades, NDS’ mission has been to provide meals, food assistance, and additional support as an extension of the Catholic Church’s local works of charity. COVID-19 has greatly impacted those that may not typically face hunger, and in times like these we cannot accomplish our mission alone. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has kindly shared their food with us and is a much needed boost when a number of essential food staples are difficult to get. We are grateful for their support of our efforts and the opportunity to work together to feed our brothers and sisters confronted with a food emergency brought on by COVID-19. We are also thankful for our invaluable partnership with Vincent Schiavone and Caring for Friends for not only housing the donated items but also their continued work of providing for those in need and addressing food insecurity in the Philadelphia region.”
For more information on NDS temporal response to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as a listing of NDS sponsored food cupboards and nearly 80 emergency feeding sites for children and youth across the Philadelphia region, please visit https://nutritionaldevelopmentservices.org/covid19/.
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Editor’s Note: For forty-six years, NDS’ mission has been to serve children and those in need with healthy food. NDS accomplishes its mission in two distinct ways: by administering the federally-funded child nutrition programs and through the privately supported Community Food Program. For more information about Nutritional Development Services (NDS), please visit https://nutritionaldevelopmentservices.org/. NDS is an equal opportunity service provider.
Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), a member of Caritas Internationalis, is the national office for the Catholic Charities ministry nationwide. CCUSA’s members provide help and create hope to more than 12 million people a year regardless of religious, social, or economic backgrounds.