Grant helps St. Jude Catholic Church serve those in need during the holidays

The holiday season is a time for giving. 

For St. Jude Catholic Church/Hispanic-American Center, that mission focuses on serving underserved populations each year. 

The St. Jude Program for the Needy, a supplemental resource for St. Jude's Food Pantry, primarily serves people of the Hispanic community in need.

An essential support for this program each year comes from the Kathleen K. Catlin Foundation of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. 

The church received the $10,000 grant on Aug. 22, 2025, and allocated $7,000 to the Christmas component of its Program for the Needy, which works in conjunction with Toys for Tots.

With those funds, the church purchased and distributed 280 food gift cards, each valued at $25, reaching 505 children under the age of 12. In addition, every registrant also received a whole chicken donated by Acapulco Tropical in Ellenton.

The remaining funds were used to buy groceries for the St. Jude’s Food Pantry, which provides support to the community each week.