St. Gabriel Parish collects 3,500 pounds of food for Marian House

COLORADO SPRINGS. Even though parishioners at St. Gabriel the Archangel weren’t able to attend any Masses during the month of April, the parish not only held its regular monthly food drive but held an extra drive that resulted in a 3,500-pound food donation to Marian House soup kitchen.

St. Gabriel parishioners typically donate anywhere from 1,200-2,000 pounds of food to the monthly “Gabriel’s Gifts” food drive, which benefits Mercy’s Gate ministry, said Janet Hutchinson, chairman of the parish outreach committee.

But because Catholic Charities of Central Colorado had requested supplies for the hundreds of sack lunches being distributed in place of the daily meal at Marian House soup kitchen, St. Gabriel pastor Father Kirk Slattery suggested the parish hold a second collection.

St. Gabriel Knights of Columbus assisted in the effort by publicizing the food drive to non-parishioners in the neighborhood and picking up donations from people who couldn’t drop them off at church.

The response was overwhelming. On May 4, Knight Tim Kearns and other volunteers drove two trailers stuffed with more than 3,500 pounds worth of food donations to Marian House, where they also dropped off $200 in cash donations.

It was the largest food collection the parish has ever done, Hutchinson said.

“What a blessing to the poor who have been so negatively impacted during these times,” she said.