- April 24, 2024
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Vince Colonna has been volunteering for a long time.
His first volunteer role dates back to when he worked at a grocery store. He was a newlywed at the time, and the store he worked for would prepare food for the homeless and others who needed help. Now, Colonna is still working to fill that need in the Ormond Beach community through his role at the St. Brendan Catholic Church food pantry.
The pantry is fairly new, having opened three years ago under the direction of the church's pastor, Rev. Thomas Barrett.
“That was something I’d been hoping for a long time," Colonna said. "There’s a lot of people here that need food. People think Ormond is a rich community — really, it isn’t.”
Colonna coordinates much of the work the pantry conducts, from ordering the food from Second Harvest Food Bank to organizing the different committees that help stock, pack bags and distribute. Before the pandemic, they were helping about 80 families a week. Now, that number is around 125.
While it is a lot of work, he enjoys doing it. That's important in a volunteer role like his, where you're helping people in often dire circumstances.
"Vince is a tireless volunteer who manages the St. Brendan Food Pantry where 125 people are provided with essential food every week. His willingness to devote time and provide leadership skills to help those in need is an inspiration to me and everyone who has the good fortune to know Vince."
Joyce Pepin, member of the Rotary Club of Downtown Ormond Beach
He recently had a family with five kids seek out help at the pantry. Their landlord, who refused to install a central air conditioning system in their rental unit and relied instead on window units, decided to sell the property. The family needed to find a new place to live, but with a $650 electric bill looming over their heads, money was getting tight. Colonna said the church was able to help the family. They paid their electric bill.
Colonna has lived in Ormond-by-the-Sea for almost three decades. He moved a few years after retiring from his position with IBM. He describes himself as a "behind-the-scenes" guy, one who would not be able to help those in need on his own. His pastor, the parishioners and volunteers play a major role. He'd prefer to be out of the spotlight, but is thankful to those that see how many hours he puts in to the pantry, which also supports Family Renew Community with food and gift cards.
“It feels good, but you know, I just believe that’s what we’re here for," he said.
During Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter, Colonna said the church also helps 150 people with groceries for the holiday and provide them with a gift card to buy a turkey or ham.
In addition to his work at the pantry, Colonna volunteers for the Meals on Wheels program at the Council On Aging in Holly Hill. He is also a member of the Ormond-by-the-Sea Lions Club and serves as an officer in the Knights of Columbus Father Eamonn Gill Council 13018.
Volunteering is just Colonna's calling.
“It’s a simple as that," Colonna said. "I always tell our people here that we don’t know how lucky we are until we spend a day in here, when you see people that are really hurting, and we’re able to help them."
