Loaves and Fishes Ministry
Location: Sacred Heart Catholic Church.837 Jeanette St. 
Website: https://www.sacredheartabilene.org/
Pastor:  Rev. Albert Ezeanya
About: The Loaves and Fishes of Sacred Heart Church is the only Catholic food pantry in Abilene. Open to the public Tuesdays 1-3 p.m. Loaves and Fishes provides assistance with food and necessities for those in need. For more information or to volunteer, contact Mary Ellen Migliore, director, at 325-829-7947

Past directors: 
Vickie and Jim King
Valerie Clement
Rusty and Carmela Whitney

By Loretta Fulton

Whether it’s directing traffic or answering questions, Mary Ellen Migliore is the go-to person at Loaves and Fishes, a ministry of Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

It’s been that way since 2014–10 years ago–when Migliore was named director of the program that originated in the basement of the church. Since then, the program has grown in number of recipients of the weekly food distribution and in the physical size. It is now located in a rambling series of buildings and hand-built wooden storage boxes located on the south side of the church. Migliore may be in charge, but she deflects credit to Sacred Heart.

“Without the church, the pantry is not going to be here,” she said.

Mary Ellen Migliore has served as the volunteer director of Loaves and Fishes since 2014. The ministry is located at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Photo by Loretta Fulton

Sacred Heart pays the water and electricity bill. Donations and volunteers also come from the other three parishes in Abilene–St. Vincent Pallotti, St. Francis, and Holy Family. Sts. Joachim & Ann Mission in Clyde also assists.

The ministry may be Catholic, but it draws volunteers from other denominations like Lee and Lyn Allen, who live near Eula and are members of a Methodist church, and Grettna Paige, a member of Broadview Baptist Church. Lee Allen’s sister is a member of Sacred Heart, but that’s not the only reason he and his wife volunteer.

“It gives us something to do and helps out the community,” he said.

Michelle DeLaRosa and Grettna Paige are regular volunteers at Loaves and Fishes ministry at Sacred Heart Catholic church. A statue of St. Francis stands beside a list of Works of Mercy at the ministry. Photos by Loretta Fulton

Every Tuesday, volunteers arrive at 8:30 a.m. and start preparing for the 40 to 75 people who show up each week for food items. A truck from the Food Bank of West Central Texas arrives at 9:30 and volunteers begin unloading that week’s supply. When recipients arrive, they park their cars in a field next to the church and volunteers direct six at a time to pull forward. Occupants of three vehicles at a time are allowed into the buildings to shop. Even though the ministry is open 1-3 p.m., Migliore said all cars in line from 1-3 will be served, no matter how long it takes. 

Besides canned and boxed food, shoppers can get sodas and bottled water, cookies, cheese, walnuts, fresh meat, vegetables, and fruit. People can come every week but are allowed a full order only once a month. Other visits are to supplement the large order. Migliore also takes furniture donations, which are stored in one of the buildings. She also sells furniture on Facebook and at Gypsy Rose Antiques, with proceeds going to Loaves and Fishes.