Loving Our Neighbors
Hunger among college students and families is a growing problem in Iowa City. An important part of our faith is serving others, and particularly those in need.
Our church food pantry is open during most of our church services and during office hours. (Click here to see those times on our Calendar.) All are welcome to receive food from our pantry, including our church members.
If you'd like to help:
Our church food pantry is open during most of our church services and during office hours. (Click here to see those times on our Calendar.) All are welcome to receive food from our pantry, including our church members.
If you'd like to help:
- Interested in helping hands-on? We're looking for volunteers to work with visitors who would like to access the food pantry during services as well as someone to work with Table to Table and other food donors. Contact Rene Horak with questions.
- Donate food. You're welcome to donate nonperishable items (food that doesn't need to be refrigerated) by dropping them off near the food pantry in the lower level alcove. See our Food Pantry Shopping List for more information and ideas.
- Make a monetary donation. Write "Food Pantry" in the subject line of your check made out to "St. Raphael Church." Or find the donation form near the bottom of our Donate page, and click on the designation "Food Pantry."
If you'd like to be a pantry host
As a host, you simply put at least one sign out, greet people, get their contact information, give them a flyer, and help them find their way around our little pantry. Please contact our food pantry coordinator, Rene Horak, to express your interest.
No limits. We do not limit what anyone takes. We treat every visitor as if that person were Christ Himself, based on our Orthodox faith and on Scripture (see especially Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:31-40).
Don’t forget to open the large plastic boxes under the shelves. They have food in them too.
Signs. We have yard signs in the office to put out all over the neighborhood—or put at least one in front of the church—when the pantry is open. NOTE: The sign for in front of the church says “HERE”; the others have our church address.
Quick-and-easy locations for signs are on Governor and College, and Dodge and College, but do spread them as far and wide as you are able. And don’t forget to put them back in the office when the pantry closes. There will also be a paper sign to put on each entry door and on the stairwell to direct pantry visitors to “ask for ______” (whoever is volunteering) during services.
Pantry sign-in and flyer. There is a clipboard and some sign-in cards in the pantry. Make sure visitors writes down as much contact information as possible on their card so we can connect with them. On their second and later visits, mark their card with an X.
***Please also give every new pantry visitor a flyer (in the envelope on the clipboard).
Supplies. We have a box of HyVee bags as well as cardboard boxes for carrying out food. There are plenty of both, so if anyone asks for extra, give them away.
No limits. We do not limit what anyone takes. We treat every visitor as if that person were Christ Himself, based on our Orthodox faith and on Scripture (see especially Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:31-40).
Don’t forget to open the large plastic boxes under the shelves. They have food in them too.
Signs. We have yard signs in the office to put out all over the neighborhood—or put at least one in front of the church—when the pantry is open. NOTE: The sign for in front of the church says “HERE”; the others have our church address.
Quick-and-easy locations for signs are on Governor and College, and Dodge and College, but do spread them as far and wide as you are able. And don’t forget to put them back in the office when the pantry closes. There will also be a paper sign to put on each entry door and on the stairwell to direct pantry visitors to “ask for ______” (whoever is volunteering) during services.
Pantry sign-in and flyer. There is a clipboard and some sign-in cards in the pantry. Make sure visitors writes down as much contact information as possible on their card so we can connect with them. On their second and later visits, mark their card with an X.
***Please also give every new pantry visitor a flyer (in the envelope on the clipboard).
Supplies. We have a box of HyVee bags as well as cardboard boxes for carrying out food. There are plenty of both, so if anyone asks for extra, give them away.
