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MoneyFood & hungerUrgent

Feed 342 families each week at Open Hands Pantry in Saint-Denis

The Open Hands Pantry pantry in Saint-Denis is running low just as demand rises; $1,950 will stock it for 9 weeks.

🇫🇷 France3,891 views
Vincent Rodriguez
Email verifiedAddress verifiedPhoto verified
Saint-Denis
Since 2023, our volunteer team has run Open Hands Pantry every Tuesday from the back of a school canteen. We started with 15 families, and now we feed 342 each week. Donations have dropped by about 42% this school holidays, while the line has grown every single week. We rely on volunteers - 14 of us - and keep no salaries or overhead. I buy staples at wholesale prices at the Saint-Denis market and keep every receipt. Each $30 feeds a family of four for a week. All of the funds go to groceries, fresh produce, and cold-storage costs. Where the $1,950 goes: • Fresh vegetables and fruit: $360 • Baby formula and diapers: $260 • Rice, beans, flour and oil (wholesale): $1,330 Thanks for being kind about this. - Vincent
#food-pantry#hunger#volunteer-led#food

Updates from Vincent

  1. Small update. $795 so far, the plan for rice, beans, flour and oil is now scheduled.

Donations

RecentTop gifts
  • Eliana Carter 🇬🇧 · $5

    “Hope things get better. From Dundee with love. - Dundee”

  • Erica F. Martinez 🇵🇭 · $15
  • Gabriel André Melo 🇧🇷 · $50
  • Regina Tatiane Barbosa 🇧🇷 · $10

    “From my family to yours. From Salvador with love. - Salvador”

  • Aylin Özlem Çakır 🇹🇷 · $5

    “Stay strong - Bornova”

  • Francesca Caterina Caruso 🇮🇹 · $25
  • Chloe Graham 🇦🇺 · $10
  • Tshepo A. Molefe 🇿🇦 · $10

    “Hope things get better. Shared with friends too. - Johannesburg”

  • Sade Esther Coker 🇳🇬 · $20
  • Aniket T. Wagh 🇮🇳 · $10
  • Kagiso F. Moodley 🇿🇦 · $52

    “Take care of yourselves! - George”

  • Anonymous 🇩🇪 · $75

    “Praying for you. I'm in Nuremberg, thinking of you. - Nuremberg”

  • Margaux Delphine Breton 🇫🇷 · $25

    “Praying for you! - Montpellier”

  • Anonymous 🇮🇳 · $25
  • Andrew Ruiz 🇺🇸 · $20
  • Usman Zubair Kakar 🇵🇰 · $25
  • Regina N. Galindo 🇺🇸 · $25
  • Thomas Paris 🇫🇷 · $100

    “Hope this helps. Hope the August deadline works out. - Paris”

  • Anonymous 🇲🇽 · $4
  • Allison Valdez 🇦🇺 · $25

    “Stay strong. Shared with friends too. - Brisbane”

Reviews

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Questions & comments

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  • Fe H. AgustinQuestion

    Is there anything that isn't money that would help Vincent?

    • Vincent RodriguezOwnerAnswerAddress verifiedPhoto verified

      Thank you. If you're in Saint-Denis I'll say if something practical comes up. For now sharing this is great. Thanks for asking.

  • Sarah Sophie Pons

    Sending strength. Shared it with a few friends. Sent it to 15 people at work.

    • Kamala Laxmi ChhetriID verified

      wishing you peace, Vincent. I hope things turn around soon. Please keep us posted. Take care

      • Fatima Zahra Mourad

        Take care, Vincent. It takes guts to ask. Well done.

        • Lourdes G. Vega

          Hope this works out for you. Sent it to 32 people at work. Thinking of Saint-Denis.

          • Novi Ika WijayaQuestion

            Is there a list of costs somewhere? Just curious how it adds up for Vincent.

            • Vincent RodriguezOwnerAnswerAddress verifiedPhoto verified

              Sure. The biggest one is fresh vegetables and fruit, $360. The rest is in the list at the bottom of the post and I'll upload receipts as I pay each one. Let me know if you want more detail.

          • Vani S. Bedi

            sending love. Hope the build day goes well, wish I lived closer. Love from Mombasa.

            • Liam R. Fowler

              Sending good thoughts, Vincent. More neighborhoods should do this. My mother had a similar thing happen so this one hit home. All the best

              • Armando B. OrtizQuestionID verified

                how is Vincent doing now?

                • Hugo L. Moreno

                  Wishing you the best, Vincent. More neighborhoods should do this. Thinking of Saint-Denis.

                  • Emilia SikorskiPhoto verified

                    Wishing you the best, Vincent. Great idea, hope you get there. The breakdown of costs made it easy to trust. All the best

                    • Angela RogersPhoto verified

                      Best of luck, Vincent. Great idea, hope you get there. All the best

                      • Jumoke Aisha Quadri

                        You're not alone. Shared this with my family. My daughter saw me on my phone and now she wants to give her pocket money. Blessings.

                        • Lia Lia Santoso

                          Thanks for sharing this, Vincent. Hope this works out for you. Blessings.

                          • Allan J. OcampoPhoto verified

                            Sending love, Vincent. Hope you get there.

                            $2,050.50 raised of $1,950

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