Serving Those In Need

In 1999, the group of Bethel church members that started the soup kitchen, also prepared bags of groceries once a month to help those who were in need. In the original church building, once a month, while some were preparing meals still others lined the church pews with brown bags packing them with donated canned goods and staples. The assembly line kept going until every bag was full and everyone who needed a bag of groceries received one. Then the donations came from the hard-working members of the community, many of whom struggled to keep food on their own table. Theirs was a labor of love and a desire to minister to those who were in need.

The partnership will Rural Opportunities allowed Bethel to receive monthly deliveries of commodities that were then bagged and sent home with the families who came to eat. This partnership continued until the demand exceeded the supply and USDA commodities are now received through the Community Food Bank of South Jersey.

The food pantry distributes food twice a week now in an effort to meet the increase demand for services. Tuesdays are traditionally produce and bread. Wednesdays is for commodities. Clients are allowed to access food on both days in an effort to stretch their shrinking dollar. If families can receive some groceries from our food pantry, then they will have some extra cash to spend on meats, medicines and other household necessities.

Over the last year, over 8,000 families were helped through our weekly food pantry services. This does not count the additional low income residents and Senior Citizens who receive holiday baskets at Thanksgiving.

Individuals are asked to sign in when they walk in the door but no identification is required. They are allowed to access the food pantry on both days every week for a total of 8 times per month.