For 2026, the St. Margaret of Scotland Parish Lenten Project is for the benefit of the Wellston Center.
Each Lent, every Catholic is asked to take up some form of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and our Parish Lenten Project is an opportunity for us to do that collectively as a parish family – praying, sacrificing, and giving for the good of this valuable Catholic ministry which serves individuals in need in our local community.
Since 1993, the St. Augustine Wellston Center food pantry and thrift store has served some of the poorest neighborhoods in Missouri. In 2025, these needs increased due to the May tornado and increased food insecurity caused by SNAP benefit cuts and delays. The Wellston Center believes that no one should have to go hungry, and this Lent, the Wellston Center invites the parishioners of St. Margaret’s to participate in their corporal works of mercy in new and intentional ways.
As a faith-based organization, the mission of the Wellston Center focuses on food: Feed the hungry. Beyond the vital work of their food pantry, however, the Wellston Center works to meet other essential and immediate needs of their neighbors:
- They offer financial assistance to help keep utilities on or to help neighbors avoid eviction.
- Volunteer nurses from Mercy Neighborhood Services provide blood pressure checks and education about key health topics, including diabetes, heart disease, strokes, and stress.
- They organize a support group of clients to discuss family issues, grief, and other community concerns.
- Recognizing the cost and need for school supplies, every year they research the supply lists of each grade of the local schools, and, using donations, offer school book bags filled with the items students need.
Ultimately, the Wellston Center seeks to support, empower, and provide high-quality resources and services to the community in a safe and secure environment.
Our parish mission calls us to practice our faith as St. Margaret did – that is, to go out into the neighborhood and share faith with others while meeting their most basic needs, seeing them as the children of God they are. The mission of the Wellston Center closely aligns with this mission and vision for the community and offers an excellent opportunity to put our faith into action this Lent.
So how can you help?
Pray
- Pray for the success of the work of the Wellston Center.
- Pray for the Wellston Community – both the families served and the volunteers who work at the Center to provide food, clothing, and dignity to our North City neighbors.
- Pray for an end to systems of racism and economic oppression in our city and in our country.
Give
- Give money to support the work of the Wellston Center. Donations are accepted online.
Although food donations are accepted, the Wellston Center chooses to buy most of the food available in their food pantry. This allows them to provide a stable menu of choices to their clients so that families can plan around what will be provided through donations and what they will need to purchase. - In addition to food, the Wellston Center provides clients with diapers, baby formula, toilet paper, and laundry detergent – and these things go quickly. Donations of these items are especially valuable to the Wellston Center.
Serve
- Take a tour of the Wellston Center. Executive Director Andrew Diemer has scheduled tours specifically for St. Margaret Parishioners on February 27 & 28 and March 6 & 7. Sign up for a tour here.
- Volunteer at the Wellston Center. There are opportunities that fit every skill and time frame. Mr. Diemer schedules all volunteers, so connecting with him directly after a tour of the center is the best way to begin.
Questions? Contact the Wellston Center via email at wellstoncenter@gmail.com.
