Menegon Catering is hosting its second annual lobster boil fundraiser on October 3, and this time all the proceeds will go directly to the St. Helena Community Food Pantry, a nonprofit that says it now feeds as many as 130 families amid rising food costs and growing need. Doors open at 6 PM at Native Sons Hall, with dinner beginning at 7 PM, and tickets cost $150 per person.
Last year's inaugural lobster boil drew 200 guests and raised more than $90,000 for the St. Vincent de Paul Ministry of St. Helena, which feeds hungry people in cooperation with St. Helena Catholic Church, according to The Napa Valley Register. This year, organizers are splitting focus, and the food pantry will be the sole beneficiary. Courtney Menegon, who runs Menegon Catering and Steve's Hardware, said the event benefits worthy organizations and raises awareness of their work.
Twice-Weekly Lines and Rising Costs
The pantry, which operates out of the St. Helena Seventh-day Adventist Church, holds distributions twice a week and reports new applicants arriving every week. On Tuesdays, volunteers hand out fresh produce, milk, eggs, butter and cheese when available, along with monthly bags of shelf-stable staples, typically serving a few dozen cars at each session.
Susan Davis, who manages the pantry, said it now pays twice as much as a year ago for the same amount of food. Volunteer Jim Lampkin, who has managed dairy and meat distribution for four years, said federal SNAP cutbacks are forcing people to choose between gasoline and groceries. Pantry volunteer Melissa Aston said community support prevents a dire situation, and local families are struggling to afford rent, utilities and food at the same time.
Auction Lots Draw on Napa Valley Pedigree
The lobster boil will feature live auction lots donated by local figures with deep ties to Napa Valley's food and wine world. One package offers a three-day stay at the former home of Don and Sally Schmitt in Elk, donated by Stefan and Joanne Blicker. The Schmitts were pioneer restaurateurs who opened the original French Laundry in Yountville in 1978 before selling the landmark stone building to chef Thomas Keller in 1994, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Another lot pairs a three-day stay at Stinson Beach with sparkling wine from Paula Kornell, who launched her namesake label in 2019, continuing a Napa Valley winemaking heritage her father, Hanns Kornell, began in 1958 after escaping Nazi Germany in 1939, per Side Hustle Wino. Additional lots include a mahjong-themed package with a set, lessons, lunch for four and a designer purse from Elyse Walker, plus a choose-your-own-movie screening for 50 at Cameo Cinema catered with food and wine from Oak Avenue Catering.
A Regional Squeeze on Food Assistance
The pantry's struggles echo wider pressure on Bay Area households. A statewide health survey published in March found that food insecurity among low-income adults earning under 200% of the federal poverty level across the nine Bay Area counties surged from 26% in 2001 to 46% in 2024, according to Local News Matters.
Locally, roughly 6,600 Napa County households, representing about 10,700 residents, depend on monthly CalFresh aid, with children under 18 making up 37% of recipients and seniors 60 and older accounting for 23%, per county data. Federal work rules for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents were reinstated in Napa County starting in June, limiting non-exempt CalFresh recipients ages 18 to 64 to three months of aid in a 36-month period unless they log at least 80 hours a month of work, volunteering or job training. Last October, the Napa County Board of Supervisors allocated up to $1 million in Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement emergency funds for grocery gift cards after residents faced sudden disruptions in CalFresh benefits.
Countywide, Community Action of Napa Valley coordinates seven food pantries that together distribute an average of more than 118,000 pounds of food per month. In August, the Napa Valley Community Foundation reported investing $1.65 million through its Elaine Jones Safety Net Fund across 15 local nonprofits struggling with operational deficits tied to inflation and rising demand.
Volunteers and Donors Keep Shelves Stocked
Beyond Davis, Lampkin and Aston, the pantry relies on volunteers including Maria Stel, Julie Jenanyan and Ron Menegon. Local businesses have also stepped in: Safeway has donated meat to the pantry, and the Model Bakery has donated English muffins. Volunteers also plan to hand out holiday gift cards around Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The lobster boil itself will take place inside Native Sons Hall, an Italian Villa-style building constructed in 1915 whose rear pavilion can hold up to 485 people, making it the largest indoor event hall in St. Helena, according to the City of St. Helena. Organizers hope a successful night will let the pantry keep pace with increasing demand and rising food costs in the months ahead.
