24 Mar After a year like no other, the Interfaith Food Cupboard is going strong

And we’re providing more than food—we’re decreasing stigma and inspiring hope.

Roy, a father of 6, was ashamed to ask for help when he lost his job after COVID. He had no food when he found us. He called, apologizing for his need, and we encouraged him to come by. When he got to the Cupboard, he burst into tears. We warmly welcomed him—and shared that many of our volunteers have experienced hard times, too.

He brightened. “Yes,” he said. “One day when I’m back on my feet, I’ll be able to help, too.”

More and more families in our area are confronting impossible daily decisions: Do I buy groceries, or do I pay the rent?  Feeding America projects that the rate of food insecurity in 2020 in Montgomery County has jumped from 7% to 11.1% as a direct result of the pandemic.

Visits to our Cupboard bear this out. More than 1,600 of the total 2,900 individuals we served in 2020 were new patrons—many of whom had never before visited a food pantry. In 2019, we served 589 households; in 2020, that number grew to 824 households. Before COVID, the Cupboard had about 300 visits each month. We are now averaging 379 visits each month, a 25% increase. And we doubled the amount of food we provided, from 11,355 bags in 2019 to 22,808 bags in 2020!

We’ve adjusted our operations to allow for social distancing, with curbside pickup of pre-packaged food boxes. Perishable and non-perishable foods are available, including fresh produce, meat, milk, butter, and eggs, as well as personal care and household goods, including diapers, detergent, toilet paper, and paper towels.

It’s the generosity of our community that has helped us keep our doors open and meet the extraordinary growth in demand. So we’re dedicating this issue of the newsletter to the supporters of the Cupboard. Thank you for everything!

Our honor roll

We received 205,000 pounds of food donations in the past year—that’s a value of $345,000! In addition to the many generous individuals who have supported us, we want to thank the organizations that have provided food to the Interfaith Food Cupboard in that time:

Abington Education Association
Abington Friends Meeting
Abington Friends School
Abington Junior High School
Abington Post Office
Abington Presbyterian Church
Abington School District
Abington Township Environmental Advisory Council
Abington Township Police Department
Acme Markets
Alice Bakery & Cafe
Ambler Theater
Boy Scout Troop 48
Boy Scout Troop 72
Brandywine Living at Dresher Estates
Carmel Presbyterian Church
Chestnut Hill Village Apartments
Circle Pharmacy
Compass Real Estate
Concord Pet – Doylestown
Concordia Lodge No. 67, F. & A.M.
Congregation Beth Or
Copper Beech Elementary School
Coronavirus FoodAssistance Program
Crossroads Fellowship Church
Cub Scout Pack 1
Cub Scout Pack 438
Cub Scout Pack 72
Cub Scout Troop 304
Delta Family Services LLC
Down the Road Cruisers
Dresher Farm Market
Elkins Park Reformed Presbyterian Church
Girl Scout Service Unit 558
Girl Scout Troop 747
Girl Scout Troop 7690
Girl Scout Troop 91176
Glenside United Church of Christ
Grace Lutheran Church
Gwynedd Friends Meeting
Hickory Pointe Financial Group
Hiway Theater
Holy Redeemer Food Cupboard
Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church
Keller Williams Real Estate
Kevin from Heaven Foundation
Keystone Fellowship Church
Keystone Fellowship Church – Montgomeryville
Knights of Columbus
Kressly Pediatrics
Lafayette College
League of Women Voters of Bucks County
Lightbridge Academy of Glenside PA
Limberakis Family Dentistry
Living Word Lutheran Church
Manhattan Bagel – Doylestown
Manhattan Bagel – Lansdale
Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard
Meals on Wheels at Montco SAAC Glenside
Mike’s York Street Bar & Grill
Mom’s Organic Market
MontCo Anti-Hunger Network
Moss Rehab, Brain Injury Unit
New Church Live
Or Hadash
Our Lady Help of Christians
Pennypack Farm and Education Center
Philabundance Produce Hub
Philly Food Rescue
Project You Are Love, LLC
Queen of Angels Regional Catholic School
Queen of Peace Church
Reform Congregation of Keneseth Israel
Resurrection Lutheran Church
Roslyn Elementary School
Rydal Elementary
Rydal Park Retirement Community
Saint Genevieve Parish
Salem Baptist Church of Roslyn
Sam’s Italian Market and Bakery
Sanctuary United Methodist Church
Share Food Program
Sisters of the Holy Redeemer Charity Garden
Society of St. Vincent De Paul, St. David Conference
Southampton Psychiatric Associates
St. Anthony of Padua Church
St. Basil Academy High School
St. David Roman Catholic Church
St. John’s Lutheran Church
St. Luke the Evangelist Parish
St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church
St. Thomas’ Church, Whitemarsh
State Farm – Willow Grove
Supplee Presbyterian Church
TerraVida Holistic Centers
The Emergency Food Assistance Program
The Fresh Market
The Giving Tree
The Horsham Clinic
The Meadowbrook School
The Moms Club of Abington Township
Thrivent Lutheran Financial Services
Trader Joe’s
TriValley Primary Care Willow Grove
Victim Services Center
Willow Grove United Methodist Church
Willow Hill Elementary
Women’s Club of Suburban Philadelphia
Young Adjustment Company
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority