A Diaconate Journey Inspired by Loving Service

“What do you seek?” Jesus poses this question to two of John the Baptist’s disciples as they were following Jesus. They ask Jesus where he is staying, and He invites them to “Come and see.” They spend the day with Jesus, and one of the men, Andrew, tells his brother Simon that, “We have found the Messiah” (Jn 1:35-41).

Jesus calls each of us to see who He is and to enter the fellowship of His disciples. For me, I am discerning a vocation to the permanent diaconate. I am currently in my first year of formation in the Diocese of Rochester, NY, and taking classes at St. Bernard’s. How did I get here? I believe I have a calling to serve God’s people, especially those who are marginalized, suffering, or overlooked, in the context of ordained ministry. In many ways, I have been inspired to explore the diaconate by the servant disposition of many workers involved in hunger-relief efforts with the Food Bank of the Southern Tier (FBST).

The FBST, a large food warehouse in Elmira, NY, is an organization of Catholic Charities with a mission to build and sustain hunger-free communities in six counties of the Southern Tier. Hunger or food insecurity affects 1 in 7 people in this region, or about 77,000 individuals, including senior citizens on limited incomes, people facing chronic illness or disability, veterans, people who are unhoused, and families with children. Job loss, underemployment, high costs of housing, medical care, and utilities all play a role in causing food insecurity.

In 2025, the FBST and its network distributed 19.3 million pounds of food (picture in your mind 475 tractor-trailer loads), meeting 1.73 million requests for food assistance. The FBST works closely with 300 partner agencies – food pantries, community meals sites, schools, and other programs that distribute food directly to people in need, whom we call clients.

Over the course of more than 20 years, my work at the FBST has focused on supporting these partner agencies, providing them with resources related to nutrition, cooking, and food safety, as well as connecting them with grants, helping them meet state and federal compliance standards, and fostering collaboration among sites to promote best practices. During this time, I have had numerous interactions with food pantry workers, most of them volunteers, who dedicate countless hours ordering food, organizing schedules, stocking shelves, attending meetings, and serving people in need. They include retirees - former teachers, nurses, and accountants to name a few. Others are still working. It is not unusual for them to volunteer two or more days per week. Some have volunteered for over 20 years. One woman I know has served since the 1960s! They volunteer because they want to help their neighbors, because they feel the call to respond to their religious convictions, or because they do not want to see children go hungry.

Food pantries are not necessarily places where people look for conversation or company. For clients, requesting assistance with food can be very stressful. They may feel ashamed of why they are there, overwhelmed by visiting a new place, and conscious of the stigma our society can assign to people who struggle. Clients may sense a power imbalance that they are at the mercy of someone over them. They may feel the trauma of past negative experiences asking for help and being made to feel judged or unwelcome.

At the same time, workers may feel tension. They can be tempted, based on superficial observations, to pass rash judgment on why someone is asking for help. Increased requests for food during difficult economic times can stretch budgets and make workers wonder if there will be enough food for all. Reductions in federal safety nets such as SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps) add to feelings of uncertainty and frustration among workers.

Despite these tensions, I have witnessed many workers and clients display high levels of humanity and patience toward each other. For example, although it may be easier for workers to pre-pack identical bags of food for all clients, many programs have decided to allow clients to personally select foods to take home. The choice format recognizes client dignity and provides a space for conversation. Workers and clients can chat about different foods, trade cooking tips, and engage in relaxed conversation as they walk the food pantry. Indeed, many workers and clients have gotten to know each other very well, sharing hugs and kind words to acknowledge each other’s joys (birthdays, the arrival of a baby, a new job) and sorrows (the passing of a spouse, an illness, etc.). The opportunity for conversations also gives clients room to provide feedback about services, which sometimes leads to program improvements.

I have seen workers extend the same care to people who are visiting for the first time, making them feel that they belong and encouraging them to return. Some sites have waiting areas with children’s games, a hospitality station, and information on other human services. The care shown for both people they know and for strangers is consistent with how Jesus interacted with others. The Gospels show us how Jesus both loved the people near to Him (for example, the twelve apostles, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus), as well as those He met only once or, at most, a few times (such as Zacchaeus, the woman at the well, and the centurion with the sick servant).

Unsurprisingly, some clients themselves have become workers or have found their own ways to give back, fostering a sense of solidarity among community members. I have heard of clients making birthday celebration kits for kids, knitting sweaters for other clients, and delivering food to shut-ins. I recall one food pantry writing in a grant application where they were pleased to share that they had blurred the line between giver and recipient: they could no longer distinguish between the two.

This solidarity extends beyond the doors of food programs. Dozens of people, both workers and clients, have joined FBST staff on advocacy visits to Albany and Washington, D.C., to inform elected officials about policies impacting food insecure households. In this way, we see Catholic Social Teaching’s two feet of love in action: charitable action to meet immediate needs, and the work of justice to address root causes of food insecurity.

As I continue my journey of diaconate discernment, I am grateful for the examples of many people working in hunger-relief. I will not forget how they have been present to their neighbors. The compassion I have witnessed has helped me see both the intrinsic good in others and to seek their good, both materially and spiritually. Their examples remind me of St. Peter’s exhortation to the early Church: “Above all, hold unfailing in your love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. Practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another. As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1 Pet 4:8-10). May the service of workers at all food programs, through the blessing of the Holy Spirit, continue to bear fruit!