Disciple: The Hungry Pet Food Bank
“These are God’s creatures, too.”
By Christine McTaggart
It’s the time of year when many churches celebrate pets and the love between them and the people they call family with Blessings of the Animals services.
At St. Timothy’s, Wilson, that love is blessed not just in honor of St. Francis’ feast day, but in the way it is supported all year round.
The Hungry Pet Food Bank began as a community project in November 2015 after ongoing conversations between local rescue groups and individuals recognized that the high unemployment and poverty levels in Wilson county were causing many people to struggle to provide even basic care for the animals in their families.
It was agreed that feeding alone would not be enough. Those in conversation knew that providing resources for family pets would help to solve only one facet of the long-term problem of hungry animals in the area; any program developed would have to include a component to ensure pets were spayed and neutered as well. Dawn Tucker of For the Love of Dogs, a no-kill shelter in Wilson dedicated to the humane treatment of dogs, was one of the founding members of the Hungry Pet Food Bank who helped move the conversations into action.
The organization had been active only a few months when a parishioner at St. Timothy’s, who was also a volunteer at the food bank, approached church leadership to see if St. Timothy’s might become involved in the project. The Rev. Marty Stebbins, rector at St. Timothy’s, veterinarian and adjunct assistant professor at the North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine, was on board, so flyers were brought in to introduce the program and discern the congregation’s interest in supporting it. The interest was immediate, as it was revealed that several St. Timothy’s members had already had conversations about the food bank through the shelter communities with which they were involved.
A NATURAL FIT
Involvement in the Hungry Pet Food Bank was a natural fit for St. Timothy’s, and not just because of Stebbins’ background as a vet.
“St. Timothy’s really is about food and feeding, both physically and spiritually,” said Stebbins. “We were founders of the Community Soup Kitchen of Wilson County 35 years ago, and it was housed on our property until a year ago when it moved into a bigger space. We still offer a hot breakfast here on Sundays. Church activities like our Thanksgiving-week Bake Sale raise money to support various community projects, including the soup kitchen. Feeding people on all levels is part of who we are, and so the pet food collection bins just went right next to the other food collection bins.”
The old soup kitchen pantry was put back into service as the Hungry Pet Food Bank storage facility, where up to four weeks’ worth of food can be stored. Those donations are added once a month to the food collected in bins at other area locations, including PetSmart, Dollar Stores and For the Love of Dogs.
SPECIAL SATURDAYS
Though food is collected every day, distribution happens on the third Saturday of every month at The SPOT (Sharing… Positive… Outcomes… Together), an after-school youth program sharing a former church property with several other ministries in a distressed neighborhood. Those who wish to utilize the food bank’s offerings must call ahead to submit their request to ensure the food bank collects whatever is needed. If the requests exceed the food available, the supply is simply divided up so that everyone who needs assistance leaves with at least something. More than 60 pets are assisted each month.
Food is not the only thing distributed. Volunteers work with the pet owners to educate about and stress the need for spaying and neutering their animals, to help control the number of unplanned litters and reduce the number of stray – and often hungry – animals, many of whom end up in local shelters. Visitors are given three chances to have their animals spayed or neutered; if they refuse after the third request, they are no longer eligible for the Hungry Pet Food Bank.
“If folks are breeding their animals, we just can’t feed them all,” said Judy Aycock, food bank volunteer. “We do everything we can to help them get their animals spayed or neutered. We make them aware of the Wilson County Sheriff’s subsidized spay / neuter program, which offers low-cost and no-cost spay and neuter services. If they can’t afford the $15 fee for spaying or basic care needs like shots, we try and help with financial assistance.”
Each participant in the food bank is furnished with a ticket that keeps track of conversations about care, food requested and other assistance provided. The system allows the food bank to stay organized, amply stocked and ready to serve those who often line up an hour before the doors open. Walk-ins are welcome, and new visitors are asked to register with the food bank. When distribution starts, pet owners simply present their ticket, their food is packed up by one volunteer and then brought out by the runner, often volunteer Jacob Aycock.
Aycock is a teenager at St. Timothy’s who got involved with the Hungry Pet Food Bank as part of his confirmation outreach project. He has volunteered since March and has no plans to stop.
“I like it,” he said. “It’s interesting, and it keeps me on my feet. Besides that, I’m very fond of animals.”
Aycock envisions a day when St. Timothy’s is not alone in providing this service to support struggling families trying to care for their pets. He thinks that if word about the ministry continues to be shared, folks won’t be able to help but get involved.
“I’d like there to be food banks for pets as well as for people across the United States,” he said. “There are people outside of North Carolina who can’t afford to feed their pets. I’d like to see the organization spread out over time.”
IMMEASURABLE VALUE
For those who have ever shared their lives with a pet or animal companion, it is easy to understand what a gift the Hungry Pet Food Bank is to those who need it.
“The value of living with a dog or cat is something to be cherished and supported in the community,” said Stebbins. “Even if you cannot care for the animal in a ‘middle-class understanding,’ if they have their rabies vaccinations, if they have food and water and love, everything else is commentary. It has a lot of energy, this understanding. Some might feel that if you cannot afford the basics for them, you shouldn’t have a pet. But the spiritual and emotional value of having an animal share your life is greater than a to-do list.”
Whether pet owners need the assistance of the Hungry Pet Food Bank because of chronic trouble or a sudden change in circumstance, for volunteers at St. Timothy, the reason to respond is simple.
“These are God’s creatures, too,” said Judy Aycock. “We’re supposed to help take care of them.”
“St. Timothy’s has always been about feeding,” said Stebbins. “We just expanded it from humans to a broader group.”
YOU CAN HELP
If you want to get involved with or help support the Hungry Pet Food Bank, you can do so in a number of ways:
- Drop off food donations at St. Timothy’s, Wilson.
- Purchase extra food when shopping at Wilson PetSmart and Dollar Store locations.
- Contact St. Timothy’s to ask about volunteer opportunities.
- Donate – checks can be sent to St. Timothy’s (P.O. Box 1527, Wilson, NC 27894-1527). Please be sure to note “Pet Food Bank” in the memo line.
Monetary donations will be used to purchase food and to provide pets with basic medical care, including necessary shots, spaying and neutering.
Christine McTaggart is the communications director for the Diocese of North Carolina.
Tags: North Carolina Disciple
