Bishop Provenzano and friends of Episcopal Ministries across Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, and Suffolk came together on October 18, 2023 for a "Celebration of Ministry." This years honorees were the Pop-up Pantry at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church and Pro-Cathedral in Brooklyn and the Garden at St. Francis in North Bellmore.
This annual event is a joyful celebration where we have a chance to connect with friends across the diocese, break bread together, and – perhaps most importantly – see how our faith is coming to life through our support of dozens of vibrant parish ministries.
Pop-up Pantry at St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church and Pro-Cathedral
Located in the heart of Brooklyn – at the “intersection of faith and culture,” the St. Ann's Pop-up Pantry addresses the immediate needs of food insecure neighbors by providing essential food items, while embracing the diverse backgrounds and cultures of their community. The pantry operates in the narthex of the church and outside the church doors, making a true visual representation of bringing the love of Christ “from pew to public square.”
Volunteers at the pantry range from local high school students to recent retirees, and the pantry relies on strong, generous relationships with local grocery stores, bakeries, and parishioners to keep their pantry stocked with nourishing produce, fresh bread, and shelf-stable groceries. The pantry has been in operation without interruption every Tuesday since June of 2020. Last year, they shared food with over 12,000 neighbors.
The partnership the pantry has formed with nearby grocery store, Perelandra Natural Foods, supplies the pantry with a palette of fresh produce every week. This partnership model combats food insecurity, reduces food waste, and ensure that fresh, organic produce is accessible for all community members.
The Garden at St. Francis
The Garden at St. Francis cultivates the connection of soil and spirit and the reverence for God’s earth in order to bring healthy and nutritious food to their neighbors. They are committed to strengthening the local food system by offering fresh, local, organic produce to neighbors at prices below supermarket rates during their weekly, seasonal farm stand, and by donating year-round to local food pantries. The community is invited into the garden - to till the soil, meet their farmers, and interact with bees, chickens, and plants that make this bounty possible.
The team at St. Francis is also dedicated offering horticultural therapy through their partnership with Helen Keller Services for the Blind and other local organizations supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism.
The garden also raises bees, works to protect native pollinators and plant populations, and works to educate the community about the vital role of pollinators in our ecosystem.
In 2022, the garden raised 3,500 pounds of organic produce and tracked 7,000 volunteer hours.