In the summer of 2009, as economic conditions continued to decline and joblessness became more and more prevalent, Sacred Heart Church began to consider what could be done to alleviate the suffering in Monroe and the surrounding areas. Led by our pastor, Father Tom Byrnes, we researched the services already provided in Monroe: two local churches, the First Presbyterian Church and the Monroe United Methodist Church, both have food pantries serving the community. Also in consultation with the Hudson Valley Food Bank, we determined that a soup kitchen was definitely the way to meet the needs of all individuals and families and so Our Father’s Kitchen was opened on September 16th 2009.

The name for our Kitchen was derived from Matthew 25:34:

Come, you that are blessed by my Father! Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world. I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink.

As the Roman Catholic Church of Sacred Heart, Monroe, NY, the mission of Our Father’s Kitchen is threefold: to feed the hungry, to provide referral/assistance information, and to provide a socialization outlet for the lonely and disenfranchised.

This last intention recognizes the vast loneliness spoken of by Blessed Mother Teresa in our society today:

The spiritual poverty of the Western World is much greater than the physical poverty of our people. You, in the West, have millions of people who suffer such terrible loneliness and emptiness. They feel unloved and unwanted. These people are not hungry in the physical sense, but they are in another way. They know they need something more than money, yet they don’t know what it is. What they are missing, really, is a living relationship with God.

Our Father’s Kitchen is located in the Parish Hall of the Sacred Heart Chapel, 151 Stage Road, Monroe. We serve a hot, nutritious meal to anyone, free of charge, every Wednesday from 5 – 7 pm.

How Can You Help?

• Work in our kitchen
  • Setting up
  • Cooking
  • Serving
  • Cleaning up
  • Picking up donations
  • Driving takeout meals

• Sponsor a food drive in your office/school/neighborhood

Donations may be dropped off any Wednesday between noon – 7 pm or Thursday 10 am – 3 pm at the Sacred Heart Chapel.

• Donate Stop n’ Shop or Shop Rite cards

• Purchase donation cards in honor of a loved one’s birthday, anniversary, or any other happy occasion, OR a donation card to memorialize a loved one

• Make a donation either to Sacred Heart Parish Outreach or make a check payable directly to the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley and include our account number 2415S in the memo area.

Food Bank of the Hudson Valley

195 Hudson Street

Cornwall on Hudson, NY 12520