St. Mary's Episcopal Food Pantry Celebrates One-Year Anniversary

Philabundance estimates that over 900,000 low-income residents in the Delaware Valley are at risk for chronic hunger and malnutrition, many of those families living right here in Ardmore.

After several years of operating an informal emergency food closet out of the St. Mary's Episcopal Church of Ardmore parish office, a group of dedicated volunteers opened a formal food pantry operation out of the church on Oct. 5, 2009. One year later, the pantry has grown and become a regular help to families of need in Ardmore and surrounding areas.

As part of Patch.com's Give 5 program – every employee dedicates five days of the year toward volunteering in the community – I had the privilege of working along side the regular Thursday night crew at St. Mary's Episcopal's food pantry, who helped serve over 30 families on Oct. 7.

Mike Finney, one of the volunteers who helped start the pantry and a Thursday night regular, said, "We're here to help anybody. A lot of the people who volunteer here see it as their calling to help the community. We serve people regardless of their faith or beliefs, and everyone is welcome."

Most of the families who come to the pantry are Ardmore residents, but others come from Haverford, Upper Darby, Philadelphia and other surrounding areas.

"I think we help people make it to the end of the month or to their next paycheck," Finney said. Many of the customers are regulars, and at least two on Thursday had just recently been laid off from their jobs.

The pantry hands out dry and canned goods: cereal, pasta and jars of sauce, canned beans, vegetables and chicken or tuna, peanut butter, jelly and other staples.

"We rely on donated goods," Finney said. The church accepts donations of the goods listed below during open church hours, Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or Thursday night, 6-8 p.m. when the pantry is open.

Finney was joined on Thursday night by Clara Shippen, a pantry volunteer since last April, and Sophia, working on a bat-mitzvah project. Sophia patiently showed me where everything in the pantry was as I helped bag items, and even more patiently showed me again after I had quickly forgotten.

"We have a nice time here, because we enjoy doing what we're doing," said Shippen, a resident of Ardmore. She also said the pantry has been very grateful to the people who have generously donated. "People come in and donate things all the time," she said. "I don't think there has been one time every Thursday I've been here that someone hasn't come in and given something."

The pantry allows helps local residents by providing applications for food stamps and other social programs for low-income families, and Finney said the church is exploring the possibility of becoming an official Philabundance food pantry site.

More information about the pantry is available on the church's website, and items that can be donated to the pantry are listed below.

St. Mary's Food Pantry Needs

Cold Cereal – (Raisin Bran, Cheerios, Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies or store brand equivalents only)
Instant Oatmeal 
Granola Bars 
Breakfast Bars 
Saltine Crackers only 
Canned Chicken 
Canned Tuna 
Peanut Butter
Jelly 
Canned Beans (ex. kidney, black, baked) 
Canned Mixed Vegetables (mixed only, regular & low salt) 
Canned Meals (ex. ravioli, spaghettios, chili, stew, hash) 
Canned Fruit 
Apple Sauce 
Pasta Sauce 
Pasta Mac & Cheese (boxed, no single serving containers) 
Rice (1-2lb. packages) 
Mayonnaise 
Ketchup 
Mustard 
Instant Sugar-free Juice (ex. Crystal Light or store brand equivalent) 
Coffee (reg & decaf) 
Tea Bags (reg & decaf/herbal) 
Instant Hot Chocolate (fall/winter only) 
$10 Supermarket Gift Cards