By Lois Rogers | Correspondent

For a quarter of a century, the volunteers who stock and run the St. Joseph Parish food pantry have devoted themselves to meeting the growing need for food experienced by many in the greater Toms River area.

And as anyone familiar with the logistics involved in fulfilling that ongoing effort can attest, their commitment shows strength, moxie and determination along with a hardy dose of spiritual resolve. The pantry is situated up and down a considerable flight of steps in the basement of the former convent which for years has served as parish offices.

That being the case, stocking the shelves in the pantry from four to six pallets of food a week delivered by the Monmouth-Ocean Food Bank -- can be a daunting task. The pantry operates 30 hours a week and currently serves more than 600 families a month.

It goes without saying that those who undertake the work are thrilled that the long-held vision of a pantry on one level with more space for food and easy access for volunteers and patrons is about to become a reality.

And, there was no denying the jubilant atmosphere on the Hooper Avenue campus Jan. 11 as the project began with a two-fold flourish – the demolition of the existing garage once considered as a possible replacement location followed by ground breaking for the new 1,700 square-foot-facility that will take its place, hopefully late in the spring.

St. Joseph pastor, Father G. Scott Shaffer was among those on hand to watch the old garage crumble and the dirt moved around to signal construction would soon begin. He had invited all parishioners and friends of the parish to attend the event which reflects the pledges and gifts to the parish’s capital campaign known as “Together in Faith,” which provided the initial funds to get the project underway.

The food pantry, he shared, is just one of several capital initiatives St. Joseph will address in the effort, including a new roof for the church and converting its basement into useful meeting space.

Father Shaffer’s association with the food pantry goes back to his first assignment in St. Joseph Parish as a parochial vicar when he was newly ordained. He and Rosemary Goebel, the parish social concerns coordinator – spoke of how its first quarters were very humble.

“We were working out of a closet,” Goebel observed. As the need grew, the operation expanded and shifted to the basement of the parish office building. “At that time, it afforded more space, it was warm and dry and it has worked well. We’ve served a lot of families out of that location.”

But the “biggest hang up,” she noted, “was that we are all getting older and as the food comes in in a big van,” from the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean counties, “schlepping it down the steps was getting harder and harder,” not only for the volunteers, Goebel said, but for the patrons, many who come from the area’s very large senior community, many of whom have serious health issues and can’t navigate the steps so they rely on the volunteers.

“They just are not able to carry the food. Getting the pantry on street level will make it so much easier,” she said.

Father Shaffer said that on his return to St. Joseph five years ago, he realized that there would have to be a renovation. The need had become even more critical after Superstorm Sandy struck the area with a vengeance in 2012, he said.

“We were already talking with the volunteers” about expanding the garage and building an accessible facility when Sandy hit and bumped us up to 600 or 700 families a month,” he said.

Despite the difficulties, “it is an amazing operation – the numbers have blown us away. We support it with a monthly food collection, monetary donations, and a few grants over the years” and the support of the food bank, a number of grants over the years and contributions, he said.

“It is so vital for so many people,” Father Shaffer said. “For so many people, it is the difference between making it and not making it. The reality is there that so many people are living paycheck to paycheck not became the choose to but because they have no choice and the need is not going to subside soon.”