Food Programs

Join us for compassionate food support! Our Parish provides fresh, organic produce grown in our own garden for distribution to local area food pantries, residential shelters, and private families in need of food assistance, fostering community and alleviating food insecurity. We also work closely with Open Doors, in Norwalk, which provides overnight shelter, a Soup Kitchen, Food Pantry, Community Closet, Financial Opportunity Center and many other support services and resources for those in need. Details below.

Growing For Good

"Lord, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve you as you deserve, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, To labor and not to seek reward, except that of knowing that I do your will."

The Growing for Good charitable garden was established in 2016 on the field at the back corner of the church parking lot. Animated by the generosity prayer of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the purpose of the garden is to grow fresh, organic produce for distribution to local area food pantries, residential shelters, and private families in need of food assistance. Now in its fifth year, the garden has distributed approximately 4,000 pounds of produce, including leafy greens, several varieties of peppers, tomatoes, squashes, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, and specialty items such as okra and herbs. A blueberry garden annex was planted in 2020 to increase variety.

Over the past two years one of the primary beneficiaries of the garden has been Malta House, for which we grow giant butternut squash which is turned into baby food to assist the resident mothers and babies. In addition, Growing for Good volunteers invite the OLF middle school science classes, and the elementary youth group, to a hands-on learning day at the garden each year. Community participation through the annual Grange fair is another part of the garden’s outreach.

A group of volunteers works together prepping, harvesting, and maintaining the crops throughout the growing season. The work is casual, friendly, and fun. Family participation is welcomed, for parents and children to work together. If you are interested in learning more, you may contact Kathy Rooney at 203-762-8053 or toons90@icloud.com.

Soup Kitchen / Food Pantry

Recipient Organizations

Open Doors, in Norwalk, provides overnight shelter, a Soup Kitchen, Food Pantry, Community Closet, Financial Opportunity Center and many other support services and resources for those in need. The Open Doors Soup Kitchen serves almost 400 hot meals a day to individuals and families in the community. It is located within the Open Door Shelter at 4 Merritt Street in South Norwalk.

The Open Doors Food Pantry provides critical assistance by providing supplemental groceries to over 200 families a month. The Food Pantry, as well as their Community Closet, Financial Opportunity Center and additional programs, are located within the Smilow Center at 55 Chestnut Street, Norwalk. The Food Pantry receives and distributes food between 9:30 AM and Noon, Monday through Friday.

Person to Person also offers food, housing, and other assistance programs for those in need. Their Norwalk facility operates a Food Pantry Program on weekdays from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, as well as from 9 AM to Noon two Saturdays a month. Person to Person, Norwalk is located at 76 South Main Street, Norwalk.

How can you help?

Our Lady of Fatima parishioners help by providing support in the following ways:

OLF Parishioners donate food to be prepared and served at the Open Doors Soup Kitchen on the 1st or 3rd Tuesdays of each month. Each donor is assigned a specific food item(s), which they provide on a monthly basis for the preparation of that day’s hot meal. The donations are collected at the Parish Center in time for a Tuesday 10 AM pick-up. Some items may be dropped off in the days just prior.
On weekday mornings, as well as two Saturday mornings a month, parishioners deliver rescued food from the Village Market and/or Wilton Stop and Shop to the food pantries at Open Doors and/or Person to Person, Norwalk. Driver participation levels vary from a weekly to a monthly basis. Substitute drivers are vital to the success of the program.
Every October, we hold an Annual October Collection to help stock the shelves at the Open Doors Food Pantry.
Occasionally there is a special non-perishables food drive held at the Parish Center. If you or your group is interested in hosting a drive, please contact the Parish office.

OLF Parishioners may contact Erin McDonough (Director of Community Supports at Open Doors) at emcdonough@OpenDoorsCT.org for information regarding additional volunteer opportunities at the Open Doors.

For more information locally, or if you would like to participate in this rewarding ministry, please contact Sharon Steinberg at mcsharon100@optonline.net.