Irish Tenor Singing Tonight To Help Toms River Church Expand Food Pantry

(This article was originally posted March 9; it has been updated. -- Ed.)

Famed Irish tenor Ronan Tynan is putting a new twist on the old nursery rhyme about singing for supper, when he appears in concert tonight to help the St. Joseph’s church food pantry feed more people their breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The pantry, located on the property of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church on Hooper Avenue, has seen an unprecedented level of need in the community since Hurricane Sandy wrecked homes up and down the shores of Ocean County two years ago.

In response, Father Scott Shaffer, the priest of the Toms River church, has announced the church will move the pantry to another site on the parish property and expand it to better serve those in need.

The food pantry, staffed by volunteers and currently housed in the basement of the parish office, serves more than 700 families a month, Shaffer said.

“St. Joseph’s Church is, ‘where we live, serve, and walk together in faith,’ our motto that we keep alive and reach out to the community 24/7,” Shaffer said. Meeting what he termed “an alarming increase in demand,” is part of that service to the community.

Making the move and expansion involves some costs, and the performance by Tynan, scheduled for Thursday, March 19, aims to help offset those costs.

Tickets for the concert, from 7 to 9 p.m. with the doors opening at 6 p.m., are $100 each for premium seating, $55 each for general admission and $25 each for balcony seats. They can be purchased online by visiting www.RonanTynanInConcert.eventbrite.com.

Donations to the expansion costs can be made through the website, or by mailing them directly to St. Joseph’s Church, 685 Hooper Ave., Toms River, NJ 08753. Individuals and/or companies interested in event sponsorships may call the Parish Office at 732-349-0018.