Red Cross and Calvary Baptist Church are partners in fighting hunger in Utah

SALT LAKE CITY – The American Red Cross of Utah and Salt Lake Calvary Baptist Church join forces to fight hunger.

On Friday, the Red Cross delivered approximately $4,000 worth of food and non-perishable items to the church pantry.

“We are a community-oriented church, and at a time like this, our calling is to help those in need,” said Rev. Dr. Oscar Moses, the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church.

“We knew there was a need for food pantries here and we wanted to support them in any way we could because they do such great work for the community,” said Jeremiah Lafranca, executive director of the Salt Lake Chapter of the American Red Cross.

One in 10 households in Utah suffers from food insecurity and one in six children in Utah suffers from hunger.

“One of the biggest needs is things like meat and other types of proteins, so people can meet those types of nutritional needs, and a lot of these pantries aren't getting that. That’s why we’re grateful that we were able to help today and encourage the local community to get out and help your local food bank,” said Lafranca.

The Utah Red Cross also works with Calvary Baptist Church to provide health education and conduct blood drives to help people with diseases such as sickle cell anemia, which affects many African Americans.

“I believe that partnerships like this help us build a network of people with different gifts and different resources so that we are better equipped to serve humanity,” said Rev. Moses.

Calvary Baptist Church's pantry is open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon, weather permitting. You can find more information on their website.

If you are interested in volunteering with the Red Cross, visit redcross.org.