Cathedral parishioners help launch gluten-free food pantry

Bridget Tucker was 4 years old when she was diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten found in wheat, rye and barley.

Now 18, Tucker is no longer just dining at home, where everything is gluten-free. She is going out with friends, eating at their houses or at restaurants.

“I have to double check things and think about cross contamination with other foods,” said Tucker, a parishioner of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland. “It costs more.”

Gluten-free food, be it pasta, bread, soup or flour, is typically three to four times more expensive than its wheat-flour-containing counterparts, according to Bridget’s mother, Andrea, whether it is prepared at home or in a restaurant. Pasta costs about $5 a box, Andrea said, while a loaf of bread costs $7.

“We are so blessed,” said Andrea, also a cathedral parishioner. “We have the means to purchase the food she needs. We don’t take that lightly at all.”

As longtime volunteers with Christ Child Society of Baltimore, a nonprofit that helps the needs of children and families, the Tuckers knew not everyone is so fortunate. Bridget approached the food pantry at Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation (GEDCO) in Baltimore with an idea. She asked if she could stock some shelves with gluten-free and other allergen-free food products.

As the assistant director of GEDCO, Joseph Crawley knows the ins and outs of the center, from its food pantry to its programs for older adults. He is the first to admit, however, that he didn’t know much about celiac disease, or the need for gluten-free food, until he met Bridget.

“People who can’t eat certain things can come here,” Crawley said. “We have a wonderful selection, really one of a kind. I give credit to her and her mother.”

Food pantries offering gluten-free food are not common, Andrea said, and GEDCO was “very willing and open to do this. It was just a gift.”

Last December, GEDCO’s food pantry started offering gluten-free/allergen-free food products for the first time. Bridget keeps the pantry stocked through donations from gluten-free companies and collections she holds in her neighborhood.

“We’ll sort through the general donations and see if there is something to put in,” Andrea said. “People are so happy to have an easy way to help.”

Bridget and her mother also buy extra items for the pantry when they are shopping, she said, especially if they noticed certain items are low.

“Macaroni and cheese is popular,” Bridget said. “They fly off the shelf.”

For people with food insecurities and food allergies, choosing to eat food that makes you sick or go hungry is the common question many face, Andrea said. It is important to get the word out about the gluten-free pantry.

“This is an inclusive space for people to feel cared for and heard and recognized,” Andrea said. “The need is huge. For celiac disease, diet is the only answer. There is no medicine.”

A senior at St. Paul’s School for Girls, Bridget plans to continue helping with the gluten-free pantry when she goes off to college next fall by placing orders online while her mother and students who need volunteer hours distribute the food to the pantry and keep it stocked.

“I’d love to get other people in the community involved,” Andrea said. “People have to have access to safe food.”

Email Katie V. Jones at kjones@CatholicReview.org

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