In need of pet food? Church's Stable Pantry can help

When the COVID pandemic hit in 2020, many people were giving up their pets because they couldn’t afford to feed them. That’s when the Church of the Nativity stepped up to help, says Linda Dernier, chairman of the church’s outreach ministry.

 “We checked out the needs in the community and found that people were, unfortunately, surrendering their pets because they couldn’t afford pet food. And a lot of people were adopting pets at that time,” she recalls. “So we began the Stable Pet Food Pantry at the church.”

The Stable Pantry just celebrated its fifth year serving the pet community. It offers wet and dry cat and dog food as well as kitty litter, donated by churchgoers, pet stores and people outside of the church who just want to help.

There are several ways to donate, says Dernier. You can go online to Amazon or Target where they have gift lists, and financial help can be done by mailing a check or using Zelle. Or you can go to the church and put donations in a bin inside the 24-hour chapel.

Especially needed right now is kitty litter.

The Church of the Nativity is located at 7300 Lantern Road, Indianapolis, IN 46256.

The pantry serves around 45 to 55 people and is open only on the second Saturday of each month from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Anyone in need of pet food is welcome.

“We also have a vet tech, Brandi Maggard, on site several months out of the year,” says Dernier. “She offers nail trims, fur trims, anal expression and ear cleaning in exchange for donations. She’s been a godsend to us!” Maggard works at WellPets Economy Clinics in Indianapolis.

The church also offers a Blessing of the Animals, an annual religious ceremony often celebrated on or around the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi on Oct. 4, where

Father Ben blesses a dog at the Church of the Nativity.

people bring their pets to be blessed by a priest. This year it fell near the fifth anniversary of the Stable Pantry and was performed by Father Ben Wyatt on Oct. 11.

The Blessing isn’t just for dogs and cats. “We had a mouse and a rabbit this year, and some people brought photos because the animals couldn’t be transported, including an elephant! In past years there was a parrot, a tarantula, a horse, and butterflies that were let into the atmosphere at the end of the Blessing,” says Dernier.

“This year there were a lot of pet owners who needed help. It was wonderful. And we were very excited about the turnout.”

Follow Stable Pet Food Pantry on Facebook or visit the website at https://www.nativity-indy.org/the-stable-pet-food-pantry