Residents are able supplement their food supply through donations made to the pantry once a month
When Bethel United Methodist Church opened its doors for the first time to residents in need through Peter’s Pantry in 2013, no one showed up. Four years later, the program provides food for more than 200 Gloucester County residents per month.
Open on the fourth Saturday of every month, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the pantry provides individuals and families who may be eligible through government assistance programs, as well as those who may be experiencing hardships that prevent them from obtaining financial stability to provide food for themselves and their families, a place to supplement their food supply.
According to Pastor Carol Davies, while looking for additional ways to serve the community, she noticed there weren’t many pantries in the immediate area that were open on Saturdays, raising a concern for residents who may have work obligations during the hours of operation. While deliberating the idea of starting a pantry, the church received a letter inviting it to become a pantry for a distributor in Cumberland County. From there, Peter’s Pantry was created, originally serving only Washington Township residents, and within a few months, expanding to all of Gloucester County.
Davies said the food items provided are subsidies from the federal and state governments. Therefore, pantry participants receiving food through the subsidies must provide adequate documentation proving they are below the federal poverty level, for example, they may receive eligibility by being a recipient of public assistance, such as SNAP, WIC, Medicaid and other allowance programs.
Because Peter’s Pantry also collects food from private donors, those who may not meet the guidelines set forth for government subsidies but are otherwise having trouble putting food on the table, such as individuals who may be suffering from an illness causing them to be out of work, may still receive, at a minimum, an emergency bag of goods.
Although the allotment and donations the pantry receives varies, Davies said individuals and their families can expect to receive items such as peanut butter and jelly, a type of canned fish, pasta, pasta sauce, canned vegetables, canned fruit, cereal, soup and more. During the summer, she said, many guests will receive fresh vegetables. The pantry almost always has chicken for its recipients as well.
“Over time, the subsidies that families receive from the government have been cut back, so they’re getting less help financially to buy food,” Davies said. “We help to supplement what they are able to give to their families and put on their tables.”
At Peter’s Pantry, guests are served snacks and refreshments while they wait for their bags, a unique touch, Davies said, which has created relationships between volunteers and those who partake in the pantry’s services regularly.
“We respect and welcome folks into our church and hopefully ease some of the discomfort of having to come to a pantry,” Davies said. “It feels less like an institutional setting and more like home.”
Those interested in volunteering at the pantry have the opportunity to serve their community by bagging groceries or carrying bags for guests who may have physical challenges. Volunteers may also assist in unloading the distribution truck prior to pantry day, handling the food products and helping store them until the pantry opens the following week.
“We get to stand in the gap when folks are in need, and that’s what we feel called to do,” Davies said. “We have a chance to make a difference in people’s lives. That’s at the heart of everything we do here.”
For more information, or to volunteer at Peter’s Pantry, call Bethel United Methodist Church at (856) 589–1745. Peter’s Pantry is located at the church, at 481 Delsea Drive, Sewell.
