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December 19, 2018Almost every Friday morning, Christ's call to feed the poor is heard near Corpus Christi Catholic Church in northeast Oklahoma City.
For two hours, volunteers of the Corpus Christi Food Pantry greet the many who come to stock up on food items. Some are elderly and most have young children at home.
"They start to line up at 6:30 in the morning," said Jesus Medina, one of the main leaders of the effort.
Corpus Christi Catholic Church provides the free use of its garage and parking space for lower income residents needing food. The people waiting in line so early in the day convince Medina how necessary the pantry has become. He noted that people from 10 different zip codes are served.
Corpus Christi pastor, Father Daniel Grover, said he appreciates the work of the volunteers.
"The food bank is a blessing to me in my ministry and for the parish of Corpus Christi in our constant effort to give back to the community," he said. "Many hands make light work and many of our volunteers give tirelessly to the work of this ministry."
Volunteers from five parishes and many professionals from the nearby OU Health Sciences Center help support the mission, which started in 2011 by former pastor Father Jack Zupez.
The food comes from the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and is sold to the Corpus Christi Food Pantry at what Medina calls a “discounted price.”
More than 100 people usually receive food items weekly.
Another key organizer is George Johnson, a Corpus Christi parishioner and a volunteer at the pantry for several years.
Food, such as a ton or half-ton of potatoes or apples, arrives in large pallet boxes.
"There is so much food in one of those boxes, and before the day is done the boxes are empty," Johnson said.
Yet, the numbers don’t tell the real story of the Corpus Christi Food Pantry. It's the people who are served. Medina recalled the story of an elderly couple among a small group that receives deliveries.
"He lives some blocks away in this very small house with his wife," he said. "He's had a stroke and they are always so appreciative to get this delivery and not have to go out. They are sweet people."
Johnson said he has seen older people in retirement who, for various reasons, raise grandchildren or even great-grandchildren.
"These are people who didn't plan on raising children in retirement and need the help," he said.
The food need is so great that Medina is leading a charge to enlarge the waiting area for those served so they aren't standing outside in bitter cold or rain. Architects have designed a plan to allow 40 people to wait inside. The price tag is estimated at $290,000. More than $50,000 is already dedicated for the cause.
For Johnson, who retired from working for the state, the pantry serves Christ's mission.
"You see all through the Gospels Jesus telling his apostles to feed the hungry," he said. "It's told to them and it’s told to us multiple times."
Steve Gust is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.
