10456931666?profile=RESIZE_710xThe Delray String Quartet will perform at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Delray Beach on May 22. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

You may have noticed the colorful Little Free Pantry boxes popping up around the area.
Little Free Pantries are small, localized food collection boxes for folks who need a little help meeting their family’s nutritional needs. These pantries can hold only a small amount of canned or boxed goods, donated by neighbors, but they make a huge difference.
Jessica McClard launched the grassroots mini-pantry movement in May 2016 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Summer Faerman at B’nai Torah Congregation of Boca Raton spearheaded the project locally, with more than a dozen pantries popping up in Boca Raton and Delray Beach in the past year.
The newly opened pantry at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Boca Raton is supported by the church, but some are started by neighbors or schools.
The philosophy is simple: “Take what you need; give what you can.” There’s no organization, just neighbors helping neighbors.
A typical pantry will stock tomato sauce, pasta, rice, cereal, canned tuna, fruits and vegetables, and toiletries.
McClard offered guidelines on starting your own Little Free Pantry, and Faerman used those as a guide. If you’re getting ready to head north for the summer, consider donating those unneeded pantry items to the project. You can find locations and information about starting your own Little Free Pantry at https://btcboca.org/littlefreepantry.

New deacons ordained
St. Vincent de Paul Seminary ordained 11 seminarians as transitional deacons on April 2, including Marc Gustinelli from Palm Beach diocese. The ordination Mass at St. Joan of Arc Church in Boca Raton was celebrated by Bishop David Toups, who formerly served as rector of St. Vincent de Paul before he was named bishop of Beaumont, Texas.
St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Boynton Beach is an ATS-accredited school founded in 1963 with a student population of more than 115 seminarians. Over the years, 650 of its seminarians have gone on to serve as priests in parishes in the Southeast and Caribbean.

New life skills center
JARC Florida announced that the new Caryn J. Clayman Life Skills Center will break ground in Boca Raton in September and open about a year later. The demand for services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities continues to grow along with south Palm Beach County’s population. The 13,000-square-foot facility will be a modern space where the nonsectarian organization can serve more residents.
JARC Florida, based in Boca Raton, operates 10 group homes in the Boca Raton and Delray Beach area for adults with developmental disabilities. For more information, or to volunteer, visit http://jarcfl.org.

Morning coffee and prayer
The Prosperity Coffee prayer meeting at Unity of Delray Beach resumed in April. Meetings are the first Thursday of each month — the next were set for 7 a.m. May 5 and June 2 — at 101 NW 22nd St.
Prosperity Coffee is led by Charlene Wilkinson and is using the book The Prayer Way to Health, Wealth and Happiness, by Lowell Fillmore, available online. Phone meetings are also held. To be a part of the phone group, call 720-740-9634 and use pass code 2152894. For more information, visit www.unityofdelraybeach.org or call 561-276-5796.

Spring tea and fashion
The Episcopal Church Women of St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church will celebrate women and mothers at the annual Spring Tea and Fashion Show from 2 to 4 p.m. May 7 at the church, 100 NE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton. Tickets are $35. Proceeds benefit the church’s ministries and outreach programs. Call 561-395-8285; www.stgregorysepiscopal.org.

Mother’s Day novena
St. Lucy Catholic Church offers parishioners an opportunity to celebrate their mothers, living or dead, with special Masses from May 8 through 16. A novena is a series of nine prayers or Masses that are focused on a specific intention. These “spiritual bouquets” for Mother’s Day are an option for those who can’t bring mom flowers. For more information about honoring your mother with a special prayer, call the church office at 561-278-1280.

5K run to fight hunger set
Registration has begun for the 2022 Hustle to End Hunger 5K to be held Oct. 1 at John Prince Park in Lake Worth. Registration fees are $40 until Aug. 31. There will also be a 5K walk and a virtual option.
Sponsors and volunteers are needed. The race benefits CROS Ministries. To register, visit www.runsignup.com. For more information, visit www.crosministries.org.

Chabad class registration
Chabad of South Palm Beach will offer the course “Beyond Right: The Values That Shape Judaism’s Civil Code” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays from May 17 to June 21 at Chabad Center, 224 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan.
The course is in-person only and registration is $79. Returning students save $10. Call 561-889-3499 or visit www.chabadofsouthpalmbeach.org.

Music at St. Paul’s
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church’s monthly offering of classical music continues at a special time on May 22. The program “Romantic Power and Poetry” by the Delray String Quartet begins at 5 p.m. and features works of Hugo Wolf, Alexander Glazunov, Giacomo Puccini and Robert Schumann.
Tickets are $20, free for ages 18 and younger. St. Paul’s is at 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach.
For more information, call 561-278-6003 or visit https://stpaulsdelray.org.

— Janis Fontaine

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