Those who coordinate outreach efforts generally agree that needs are much better addressed --- and recipients better served --- when needs are named, simply and specifically. So it is with Catholic Charities in the Santa Barbara Region, with assistance from the Santa Barbara Regional Pastoral Council in Deanery 2.

The deanery council has emphasized Synod Pastoral Initiative VI --- Social Justice: Living at the Service of God's Reign --- in trying to better coordinate the outreach efforts of its parishes, according to Deanery 2 chair Lisa Gosdschan, who works as a liaison with Catholic Charities. In particular, that means collecting food for the region's hungry year-round.

"It is traditional to do food drives around holiday periods," she explains, "but hunger and need is not associated strictly with holidays. As needs increase for everyone and we are all experiencing the current economic instability, we are working toward developing an all-year food drive in conjunction with our parishes, our schools and other agencies."

This "All Year Food Drive" is especially important, Gosdschan adds, because the needs are certainly there, from Santa Maria in the north to Santa Barbara in the south.

"We can perhaps best see the impact of the economic downturn through our statistics that include both north and south county," notes Dr. Frank Bognar, executive director of Catholic Charities, Santa Barbara Region. "Last year we had one of our most productive years of service. At January's end last year 19,601 unduplicated clients were served. This year at January's end we were approaching 27,000 unduplicated clients.

And in what may be "the most telling statistic," Bognar continues, is that by Jan. 31, 2008, "we had provided 61,876 services. By Jan. 31, 2009, we had provided 100,000 services. Lompoc, in particular, reports doubling its amount of services."

Catholic Charities currently provides supplemental food to those in need Monday through Friday, but its supplies are increasingly in need of replenishing. To provide food and help fulfill the Mission of Catholic Charities, the agency is suggesting that the parishes and individuals in the Santa Barbara community contribute by purchasing less expensive "store brand" items from local grocery stores. The goal is to provide "Healthy Staple Foods" to those in need.

Needed items include:

--- Peas

--- Corn

--- String Beans

--- Mixed Vegetables

--- Fruit Cocktail

--- Peaches

--- Rice

--- Dried Pinto Beans

--- Canned Pinto Beans

--- Boxed Macaroni and Cheese

--- Bran Cereal

--- Bran Flake Cereal

--- Oatmeal

--- Low sugar juices (Apple, Cranberry etc.)

--- Peanut Butter (creamy)

--- Light Tuna (in water)

--- Top Ramen

--- Cup of noodles

--- Pasta

--- Pasta Sauce

"When someone wants to help," notes Gosdschan, "it can be very intimidating going into a store with thousands of items on the shelves and not know where to start. By having a specific list, people can coordinate their efforts, select items and better contribute to the overall outreach. And in fact, we're seeing that support happen. Once parishes got a list of needed items, they have really responded."

A parishioner at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Santa Barbara with her husband Falk (a candidate for the diaconate), Gosdschan says the Council's efforts have been strongly supported by Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Curry.

"He makes it easy by giving us the latitude to determine what we find are the priorities and the needs to be met," she says. "We are very fortunate to have him. And I'm confident we will get our pantry restocked as it should be."