There’s nothing better than waking up on a Sunday morning to the aroma of fresh pancakes . . . unless of course, they’re “pancakes with a purpose.”
On Sunday, April 25, members of the Rotary Club of Southwest Queens donned their chefs’ hats and aprons and flipped flapjacks for a fundraiser to benefit Our Lady of Grace (OLG) Ministry of Care & Services food pantry in Howard Beach.
“It’s about community and giving back,” said Joe DiBlasi, incoming secretary for the Rotary, whose specialty was apple and M&M pancakes. “Our motto is service above self.”
The idea for the breakfast, which raised $600, came up at the club’s weekly meeting. “We all like pancakes,” said Frances Scarantino, vice president and president-elect. “And we try to do something different.”
The Rotary donates each month to the food pantry – twice during the holidays – and on Sunday, the volunteers cooked up strawberry, blueberry, chocolate, apple, M&M and, of course, regular flapjacks.
The day also included cold and hot beverages, face painting and games for the children.
All costs were covered by the Rotary, with the school hall and kitchen donated by OLG.
“They had the facility, we provided the manpower,” said president Stuart Schneiderman.
The Rotary, which raises money for various causes – they collected $1,100 last year for “Polio Plus,” a campaign to eradicate polio – decided to help the food pantry because “we try to maintain Howard Beach and the community as a whole.”
The pantry, run entirely by volunteers from the area, today serves approximately 112 families by providing them with enough food to get them through the day: breakfast, lunch and dinner items.
“The food pantry is a wonderful ministry,” said volunteer Dan Murray of Howard Beach, there with family, friends and other volunteers enjoying the breakfast for a cause. “If you’re in a position to help, why not. It’s more important than ever to donate, especially the way the economy is.”
Run by Jeanie Ruvolo and Kathy Pascarella under the guidance of Father Anthony M. Rucando, pastor of OLG, the food pantry has definitely seen an increase in the number of people in need of their services.
“We’ve seen an increase in a lot of single moms, people losing their jobs,” said Ruvolo, who explained that they receive monies from the parish, city, state, Emergency Food Assistance Program, the United Way, private donations and fundraisers. “People live paycheck to paycheck. We never turn people away.”
Editor’s Note: Our Lady of Grace Ministry of Care & Services food pantry is open three days a week, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. They never turn people away, however they do ask for identification, and people seeking assistance need to fill out a form. To learn more, or to donate or volunteer, call 718-835-6635. If you would like to join the Rotary Club of Southwest Queens and their efforts, stop by their weekly meeting at Prima Pasta, 161-50 Cross Bay Boulevard, Howard Beach at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, or call 718-441-6242.
