By DIANE SCHLINDWEIN
Managing Editor 

RAMSEY — To feed the hungry is the first corporal work of mercy. Jesus gave this direction to the disciples  (Mt. 25:31-46) and of course, He Himself fed His followers with loaves and fishes. 

Patty Sneed is familiar with feeding the hungry.  She and the people who volunteer at the St. Joseph’s Food Pantry and Clothes Closet in Ramsey do their best to provide food for those who can’t afford groceries — as well as clothes when they are needed (thus also fulfilling the fourth corporal work of mercy) — in their small town and the surrounding Fayette County area. 

The St. Joseph’s Food Pantry was originally opened over 20 years ago by Catholic Charities but has been run by St. Joseph parishioners and other volunteers for many years, says Sneed, who is in charge of the pantry. It was opened in the church rectory in Ramsey and for years the pantry looked like a priest still lived there, Sneed says. However, thanks to church donations the space has now been remodeled, has new flooring, and is more open and suitable for holding all the shelves of food and allowing space for folks to move around. 

Sneed became involved with the pantry several years ago when she and her husband retired and moved from Springfield to Ramsey to be closer to family. However, she says several people have been involved with the pantry since it opened two decades ago, including Penny Daniels, Becky Kerkhoff, Pat Bolyard, Janice Jones and Irene Thull. The pantry is led by a board of directors, Sneed says. 

The food from the pantry comes from a variety of places. Working through the Feeding America program, Walmart contributes food, which Sneed picks up once a week. Sneed says working with Walmart is a “huge Godsend,” but also credits donations from Mothers of Dolors Parish in Vandalia and St. Joseph Parish along with community members, and working with another small food pantry in Fillmore as being important to stocking the shelves. 

Thanks to all those donations, the pantry offers canned goods; pantry staples like peanut butter and jelly, crackers, and boxed potatoes; produce; bakery items and sweets; and some meats. Visitors can also pick up other essentials like paper products and simple personal hygiene products. 

“I used to buy food, but I really don’t have to buy groceries anymore,” said Sneed, who regularly asks that parishioners donate food according to what the pantry needs. “They take up a donation at the church every week, so I try to mix it up and get a variety of things. We get everything we need.”  

Clothing, baby items, and other items are donated too, she said.  Items are free of cost to visitors, but many people leave monetary donations, which are in turn used to run the food pantry. 

“We have clients of all ages,” Sneed said.  “I won’t turn people away. We have single moms, married couples with lots of kids, and single elderly people.  I had one couple last year who needed help.  The woman told me they both worked but they were having trouble getting by. I told her, ‘You are who I’m here for.  I want to give you enough food to help you get by.’” 

People can come to receive help at the pantry once a month. They are asked to sign in with their name, town, and number of adults and children in the family. When people come to the pantry, they are assigned a volunteer, and they take what they need.  The amount of food they are provided is based on family size: one to three people; three to six people; or more than seven people. “You would be amazed at the number of people who don’t take what they really should,” Sneed said. 

Volunteers not only come from the area Catholic churches, but also from the Ramsey Christian Church, the First Baptist Church of Ramsey and Liberty Church in Ramsey. “I typically have 50 volunteers every month, which includes a core group that works every single Wednesday night,” Sneed said. “Our volunteers are all ages, ranging from people in their 80s down to an 8-year-old boy who is homeschooled and comes to volunteer with his mom on Wednesday mornings.”

As grocery prices and living costs have risen, the pantry has seen great increases in people who seek help, which is another reason Sneed is happy to be of assistance. “When I first started with the food pantry, right after COVID in 2021 we served a little more than 500 people a year,” Sneed said. “In 2024 we served well over 2,300 clients.  I can tell you that nothing goes to waste here.”

Father Seth Brown, who is pastor of St. Joseph in Ramsey and Mother of Dolors in Vandalia and sits on the board, said he couldn’t be prouder of the way Sneed and the other volunteers maintain such a wonderful ministry. “It’s remarkable that such a little parish maintains a food pantry, and that one that is so busy,” he said. “It’s St. Joseph’s biggest apostolate. I like to brag about it!”  

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The St. Joseph’s Food Pantry and Clothes Closet is located at 188 E. Main in Ramsey. Hours are Wednesdays 9 a.m.-11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.-6 p.m.  The pantry is also open the first Saturday of every month from 9 a.m.-11 a.m.