Steak fry benefits St. Vincent de Paul dining hall and food pantry
By LINDA M. LINONIS
YOUNGSTOWN
When you buy a ticket for a steak dinner set for Saturday by St. Vincent de Paul Society of Mahoning County and the Knights of Columbus, you’ll get more than a nice meal accompanied by music and fellowship. You’ll be helping people in need.
Each $20 steak-fry ticket purchased combines with donations and grants that add up to the $250,000 operating budget for the society. The funds provide an average of 250 eat-in meals every weekday at St. Vincent de Paul Dining Hall, 208 W. Front St. Add in the take-out meals that are distributed and the Saturday breakfasts, and the tally is about 107,000 meals a year.
The budget also provides about 80 boxes of food weekly and an average of 275 boxes monthly at the food pantry, 317 Via Mount Carmel. On weekdays, between 90 and 125 people stop at the pantry to get bread, pastries and produce donated by Valley businesses. Henry Nemenz, Giant Eagle and DiBello subs are regular contributors.
The budget, for fiscal year Oct. 1, 2014, to Sept. 30, 2015, is about $160,000 for the dining hall and about $70,000 at the food pantry. Miscellaneous expenses amount to $20,000; a $10,000 grant is for the Afterschool Snack Program, which provides food on school days to about 190 students. “I’m a steward of the money,” said Brian Antal, president of the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Mahoning County, who was installed for a three year-term Saturday at Holy Family Church in Poland. “It’s not mine, so I’m very careful about how it’s spent.”
Antal just completed a three-year term as president. He said his faith motivates him to continue in the challenging and time-consuming position. “I feel I’ve been blessed,” he said, noting overseeing the operation of the dining hall and food panty is his chance “to do something to help people.”
Antal said technology has helped him balance his regular job and the demands of the volunteer position. He acknowledged that he couldn’t do it without the support and encouragement of his wife, Kari; daughter, Alexis, 8; and son, Tyler, 4. He said Alexis suggested giving backpacks filled with school supplies to children in need. “It made sense,” he said of the project. “If you can’t afford food, there’s no money for school supplies.”
Cara Snyder is the new food-pantry manager. Snyder, originally from the Valley and a graduate of Cardinal Mooney High School, was in New York for some 20 years and worked as a nanny and household manager. She also volunteered at the Emergency Shelter Network, where she coordinated volunteers to serve on weekends. “My organization skills will help here,” Snyder said.
The food pantry, open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday, is her part-time job while she’s a full-time student at Youngstown State University, where she is studying social work.
Snyder said the food pantry sees many of the working poor. “There are a lot of people with kids and jobs,” she said of those who are challenged to provide food for their families. She and Antal are available to speak to church, community and civic groups.
Antal said the dining hall and food pantry were meant “to be stop-gap measures” for emergency situations. But because of the economy and personal situations, some people depend on the two to get by.
Michelle Mixon, a Youngstown State University social-work major, volunteers at the food pantry for a class requirement. “It’s in my heart now,” she said, adding that she plans to continue volunteering. “It’s close to my heart,” said Terry Skibo of Austintown, a five-year volunteer. “There’s great people here, and they do a lot of good.”