Pet Corner
Our mission to provide meals to the community extends to all family members, including the furry four-pawed ones. The Pet Corner distributes cat and dog food on the 2nd and 3rd Thursday of each month when dinners are served. Many senior citizens, military veterans, and others in need who visit Gracie’s Kitchen rely on this pet food to help feed their cats and dogs. For many, these companion pets are their only family.
The Pet Corner began almost 10 years ago when Pat and Gary Janco were volunteers, serving meals at Gracie’s Kitchen. They noticed senior citizens and veterans were requesting containers or doggy bags to take some of their food home to their pets. Pat and Gary came up with the idea of creating a pet food area, the Pet Corner. They started purchasing pet food and then enlisted the help of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Mission Church to help with donations of cat and dog food.
Pat and Gary’s own trained therapy dogs, Isla and Tootles, were able to greet guests at Gracie's Kitchen (before Covid), and the Pet Corner, along with Isla and Tootle’s friendly faces, opened up a whole new social dialogue of everyone sharing stories of their pets. Guests were grateful for the pet food, especially those on very limited budgets. The donations of pet food allowed seniors and veterans to direct the money they were previously spending on their pets toward their own important medical expenses, such as for much needed medications and prescription eyeglasses.
Pat and Gary Janco with Isla and Tootles
Pat and Gary receive pet food donations from St. Francis Assisi Catholic Mission Church, Cat's Angels, and when available, the Humane Society. They distribute pet food on the 2nd and 3rd Thursday of each month from 4:30 PM-6:00 PM. Currently, they distribute supplemental food for around 240 pets each month, and they tend to serve more cats than dogs at this time. The goal of the Pet Corner is to keep pets with their families and help the pet shelters remain less crowded.
Pat and Gary welcome pet food donations of canned and/or dry pet food. (They can only accept unopened bags due to storage and packing limitations.) Donations can be dropped off at Gracie's Kitchen on the 2nd and 3rd Thursday of each month from 4:30 PM-6:00 PM.
Donations can also be made through PayPal using the button below. (Please specify “Pet Food” in the message line so the donation can be directed to the Pet Corner).