Hunger Fund Distributions for 2018

The Hunger Fund, established in 1974, is a fund to which Community members and friends make contributions. These contributions often consist of small donations gleaned from recycling cans, dog or house-sitting, memorials for deceased relatives and events at Loretto-sponsored schools in Denver, St. Louis and El Paso. Distributions are made annually during November. Current chair of the committee is Janet Rabideau, who also oversees receipt of requests for money and completes distributions after our meeting. This year, we awarded nine programs with a total of $21,360. An outline of each group’s activities follows:

Pot Bangers St. Louis received $1,000. This program is run by Cathy Daniels, also known as Mama Cat. She heads a small group of volunteers who prepare and take meals to homeless people and drive people to homeless shelters when weather is freezing.

Judy Popp requested and received $1,000 for The Caring Place to help with the purchase of food and $4,000 for her work with local people in need of food, medical advocacy and other services. Judy has reported that many of her clients are experiencing cuts in their food stamps and are in need of more help than before. Judy also receives leftover food from the Motherhouse.

Karen Knoll has requested $1,000 for Jemez Helping Hands to stock a food pantry and make up 71 Christmas food boxes for people served by this pantry. Last year 113 families were served with our donation and an additional $17,602 raised by other efforts.

Karen Knoll also requested funds for the Catholic Worker house in Albuquerque, N.M., for help with the purchase of food used to make burritos, which the volunteers make and distribute to an average of 60-70 homeless persons. In addition, they make a meal of posole to serve to about 13 people each Sunday. A donation of $1,500 was given for their work.

A donation of $ 3,000 was given to St. Louis Catholic Worker to use for foodstuffs for an average of 20 women and children who live at Karen House.

Villa Maria in El Paso, a shelter for women who are trying to reclaim their children and stabilize their lives, received $1,200 for food.

Annunciation House in El Paso, administered by Ruben Garcia for sheltering refugees, requested $2,000 for food purchases to feed these people while they are at the shelter. Local residents also provide and serve food daily to these immigrants. A pilot program that provides food for 2,000 clients each month in El Paso requested and received $2,360 to buy food from local food banks and 15,734 pounds of food used for distribution to these families.

Barbara Wander requested and received $1,000 to help with food purchases for the Sisters she works with as they try to recover from another earthquake challenge.

Cathy Mueller requested $1,200 for food served to Earthlinks clients while they attend workshops at the facility.

Jemez Springs Presbyterian Church in New Mexico requested $1,000 for food purchase to help maintain donations of foodstuffs to residents of Jemez and Zia pueblos. Karen Knoll works with this group as did Dorie Kincaide.

Pat Hummel requested $750 for food for the Shelter House in western Louisville with which she continues to stay connected. She also requested $550 for the Sister Visitors Pantry in western Louisville.

We are grateful to all who continue to make these distributions possible.