Welcome!
Did you know that Palm Beach County has the fifth highest median household income out of the 67 counties in the state of Florida? Living in such a relatively wealthy county, we may be tempted to think that hunger is not a problem. The truth is that there are many people living in Palm Beach County who suffer from hunger and food insecurity. Here are some sobering facts from the Palm Beach County Food Bank:
- More than 60% of children in the School District of Palm Beach County qualify for free or reduced lunch.
- At least 16% of residents are food insecure, meaning they do not know where their next meal will come from.
- 190,000+ Palm Beach County residents depend on federal food assistance for daily sustenance.
- The USDA estimates that 35 million pounds of food are needed annually to feed the hungry in our county.
This weekend, we are collecting non-perishable food to support the good work of CROS Ministries, one of our partners in grace. Last year, 71,444 individuals, 35% of whom were children, received food from seven CROS Ministries food pantries, including the Delray Beach Food Pantry located at the Neighborhood Resource Center.
As we collect, bless, sort, and pack our donated non-perishable food, we are living out our faith and caring for Christ himself who assures us, “for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,… truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Mt. 25:35,40
Closely connected to our community outreach is our life of prayer. Indeed, our communal and personal prayer fuel and give meaning to our commitment to serving others. On that note, I am happy to say that we are expanding our ministry of prayer. Please see the Acts of St. Paul’s section of today’s bulletin for details!
Blessings in Christ,
Fr. Paul+