Donald Thompson Speaks At Generation Life Event Friday, January 20, 2023

January 25, 2023

On Friday, January 20, 2023 local St. James Catholic Church parishoner, Donald Thompson, spoke to over 1300 students at the Generation Life gathering in St. Louis. The event was held at the Chaifetz Arena for 8th-12th grade students from all over the St. Louis Archdiocese. Students attending believe in being actively Pro-Life and serve as leaders for that important cause. The day featured a variety of dynamic speakers, live music, interaction with several advocacy agencies, lunch and a beautiful Mass with Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski.

This year, Jaclyn Laffleur, one of the St. Louis event organizers, asked Donald Thompson to highlight the work of The St. James Catholic Food Pantry. In his remarks he noted that the pantry has been in continuous operation for over 40 years. It started small by serving about 30 families a month but grew quickly. Over the years a new building with commercial refrigeration and freezers was built. The pantry typically serves 200-300 families each month, always on the 3rd Saturday of every month from 7-9 a.m. Clients stay in their cars as volunteers load their vehicles with foods and non-perishable items as they pass through a horseshoe driveway.

The St. James Pantry is greatly helped by our own parishioners and several other churches, organizations, schools and local businesses. The St. Louis Food Bank, Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, Belgrade Methodist Church, Reedemer Lutheran Church, The Knights of Columbus, The Scouts of America, The U.S. Postal Service, Potosi R-3 Schools, Belgrade State Bank, Purcell Tire, First State Community Bank and a raft of other groups and individuals regularly donate their time, money, prayers and resources to fulfill the pantry’s mission of feeding and assisting those in need from Washington County. It’s a collaborative community effort!

Students attending the Generation Life Event donated a truckload of foods and non-perishables to the pantry. The collection taken up at the Mass during the day is also being sent to the St. James Church Pantry. We are grateful!