Why I Serve

Pat Johnson is passionate about serving those in need and knows he is making a difference by volunteering at the Catholic Charities’ Food Pantry.

Pat is known as the “food pantry guy” around St. Augustin Catholic Church in Des Moines. He is a member of the parish’s Knights of Columbus and serves as the Food Pantry Coordinator, something he has done since 2014. As the Food Pantry Coordinator, he collects food donations, toiletries and other items every month and delivers them to the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC) for distribution.

He first learned about the Catholic Charities’ Food Pantry through his connection with DMARC and later visited the pantry while seeking help for an elderly couple he knew. Once there, he started talking with the food pantry manager, Tom Leto, who expressed a need for extra help collecting produce on Mondays. Pat graciously volunteered. Soon after that, he started volunteering every Tuesday morning on the daily window side of the pantry.

“My fellow Knights would always ask me ‘Are we making a difference?’ and I would always say ‘yes,’ basing it off of the numbers but I kept feeling something was missing,” said Pat. “Once I started volunteering at the Catholic Charities’ Food Pantry I was able to finally see the people we helped serve in person and I really needed that.

Pat explained that serving the clients and working alongside of the other volunteers is something he greatly enjoys. He explained he is constantly inspired by the other volunteers and their compassion, generosity and commitment to feeding the hungry in our community.

“Everyone I volunteer with is focused on serving the client,” said Pat. “Our responsibility isn’t to judge at all, our responsibility is to serve the people.”

The Catholic Charities’ Food Pantry has seen a steady increase in need over the last year, achieving record highs on the amount of people being served. Pat is grateful to be able to give back to the community in this way.

“As Catholics, we have a responsibility to help people in need, whatever the need is,” said Pat. “The Catholic Charities’ Food Pantry is where I need to be and where they need the most help.”

Pat encourages others to volunteer at the food pantry and to look into the other programs the organization offers to the community.

“Volunteering at the Catholic Charities’ Food Pantry is very rewarding. Just hearing clients say ‘God bless,’ makes it worthwhile,” said Pat. “I plan to volunteer as long as I can.”

For more information on how to volunteer at the Catholic Charities’ Food Pantry or for more volunteer opportunities, contact Catholic Charities Community Relations Manager, Emily Klisares at 515-237-5078 or eklisares@catholiccharitiesdm.org.