CLARKSBORO — St. Peter’s Community Pantry was born out of a conversation around a kitchen table one late pandemic afternoon. That conversation morphed into another a few days later that started something like, “what do you think about.” From that moment on, St. Peter’s Community Pantry began to take shape.
May 27, 2025 marks the second anniversary of St. Peter’s Community Pantry beginning its service to the food insecure in the community.
At its first food distribution, the Pantry provided food to 30 families. The Pantry is now serving an average of 150 families each month.
Every family receives approximately 60 to 70 pounds of groceries which includes shelf staple canned and boxed items, cleaning products, personal care items, as well as four to five bread items, three to four bakery items, fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, milk, butter, and meat.
We have been overwhelmed with the support given to us from the community. Included in this are Episcopal Community Services of the Episcopal Diocese of NJ, Rural Development Corporation, Shop Rite of Woolwich, Shop Rite of Mullica Hill, WAWA Corporation, Heritage’s Dairy Stores, Grasso Girls Farm Market, and Paulsboro Refinery.
Local organizations such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, Kingsway Regional High School’s National Honor Society, Kingsway Middle School, East Greenwich Schools, East Greenwich School PTO, Patruno Soccer League, The Little Red School House, Woodstown Masons, and Inspira Nurses have all been a part of the journey.
We cannot begin to thank all the individuals who have been involved in donating to the Pantry. Countless people have come to our monthly food drives, or have stopped by on their own to drop things into our donation bin.
Community members bring food and cash and checks. They buy toilet paper and have brand new shelving delivered to us. We never run short of bags to use because people are always bringing them to us. We can never thank all of you enough for your generosity and support.
There have been times when our volunteers have cried at the sheer depth of need, and we have wondered how we will continue to help people. In those moments and on those days, we find our answer in a check that we were not expecting, a case of toilet paper that shows up on our doorstep or in the gentlemen who came to one of our food drives at Shop Rite.
He came to the store to buy a bag of ice. When he came out of the store, he had filled an entire shopping cart with food that he donated to us. We are appreciative, and blessed, by every donation, every act of kindness, every volunteer hour and by every kind word that is offered to us in thanks for our efforts. Our thanks go to you, our community, for making our dream become a reality.
