Suggested Shopping List

Holiday Distribution is December 18th

• Hams (shank or butt portion), please no turkeys, the pantry has enough due to the generosity of our community (Hams should be dropped off directly to the Food Pantry)
• Canned or packaged gravy (turkey or pork)
• Can/Bottle Juices (family size)
• Rice (family size bag not the very large size bag)
• Canned Soups (including cream of mushroom and chicken broth)
• Canned French Fried Onions
• Instant Mashed Potatoes
• Canned Sweet Potatoes/Yams
• Canned Fruits (pineapple, peaches, mixed fruit, pears, applesauce but no cranberries we’ve plenty))
• Canned vegetables (corn, peas, spinach, sting beans, potatoes)
• Nuts/Raisins/Dry Fruit Baking goods (flour, sugar, pumpkin and apple pie filling, boxed pie crust, cake mixes, corn muffin mix)
• Boxed pudding and Jell-O
• Coffee, tea, hot chocolate

New unwrapped toys, gift cards for teens, mittens, gloves and hats for children of all ages, wrapping paper, bows and tape will also help us spread some cheer to our friends and neighbors who come to the pantry.

Always welcome – tuna, pasta, cereal, canned tomato sauce, canned beans, boxed mac and cheese

Due to restrictions of the pandemic, volunteering onsite is limited to a faithful and steadfast cohort. This is for the safety and wellbeing of those volunteers as well as the families we serve. We are hopeful that this will change and open volunteering opportunities will again be available to all who wish to serve.

In addition, we also offer an opportunity to donate through holiday/all occasion greeting cards. The holiday gift cards work this way: A donor sends/gives a beautiful “occasion” card to the chosen recipient, fills out the receipt slip and mails the donation and the slip back to St. Mary’s. The donated money all goes directly to the cost of operating the pantry and the recipient of the card has the pleasure of knowing that a bag of groceries went to a needy family in their name.

The cards are a wonderful and thoughtful gift for those hard to buy for folks on your list and are greatly appreciated by those that receive them. They make thoughtful teacher gifts or maybe a gift for that after school instructor or the sitter. The sympathy cards bring comfort to a family that has lost a loved one.

Gift cards may be purchased by sending an e-mail with the subject, “gift card” to [email protected]. or through the website at www.cfpstmarysmoheganlake.com. Cards are $20 each or 3 for $50. All proceeds benefit the pantry. We will mail you the cards, so include mailing address. Cards may also be purchased and picked up at the church office during office hours Tuesday through Friday, 9:30 am to 2 pm.