The Bread for Life food pantry in Bardstown, Ky., has upgraded its mobile pantry.
The food pantry — a brick-and-mortar operation and its mobile counterpart — is part of the St. Vincent de Paul Outreach Ministries at the Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral.
The mobile pantry operates in a converted bus as a choice pantry — meaning clients can shop in the pantry, choosing the items they can use. It serves people in need in rural Nelson County without the expense of setting up pantries throughout the area, said Chris Hovan, who serves as executive director of St. Vincent de Paul Outreach Ministries.
St. Vincent de Paul first took its pantry on the road in October of 2021 in an old 35-foot RV.
The new mobile unit — a former tour bus — was upgraded to include amenities such as a wheelchair lift. Parishioners helped convert the space by removing seats from the bus and installing refrigeration units.
Ed Hovan, a parishioner, designed and installed the bus’ electrical system, eliminating the need for a generator
Father Terry Bradshaw, pastor of St. Joseph who blessed the new pantry last fall, “reminded us how this work fulfills our Gospel mandate to feed the hungry and St. Vincent’s mission to be the hands and feet of Christ in Nelson County,” said Chris Hovan during a recent interview.
“He asked God’s blessing on all who will visit the mobile food pantry, the driver and the volunteers who keep it stocked,” she added.To learn more about the mobile pantry, to donate or to volunteer, contact Sandy Camargo, the pantry’s manager, at 502-348-7270 or bflmanager@svdpbard.org.
