Our Pantry is more than food—it’s community. Learn how we started, who we serve, and how you can be part of the solution.
Lighting the Way Since 1981
The Emergency Community Food Pantry of Franklin County began in the year nineteen eighty one when three friends, Jane Quire, Terri Fadse, and Allice LeMaster, recognized that families in our community were struggling to make ends meet.
They believed that something local could be done to meet the growing need for food support. With help from churches, social service agencies, and community members, a Board of Directors was formed on October twenty sixth, nineteen eighty one.
Their mission was clear. Create a food center where families could receive groceries in times of crisis. Operate completely through volunteer service. Build partnerships between churches, organizations, and individuals who care about ending hunger.
More than forty years later, that same mission continues. Every day, volunteers carry out the vision of our founders by serving families with food, compassion, and dignity.
Meeting Hunger with Hope
The Food Pantry provides a full week of groceries for every household we serve. Each family receives about twenty-one meals that are packed carefully by volunteers who take pride in helping others.
Requests for assistance come from a network of more than thirty churches and social service agencies. Each request is reviewed by the Resource Office for Social Ministries, known as ROSM, which ensures that families meet emergency food guidelines. Once approved, volunteers prepare boxes of groceries that match family size and nutritional needs.
Each box includes grains, rice, and pasta, proteins such as beans or canned meats, fresh produce when available, and shelf-stable items like vegetables, soups, and fruits. The average grocery box has a value of about one hundred dollars.
Every box represents a message of care and kindness from one neighbor to another.
Our Community Impact
Million Meals Served
More than one million seven hundred thousand meals shared with families across Franklin County.
100% Volunteer-Run
Every meal, box, and delivery made possible through the dedication of community volunteers.
Partner Churches and Agencies
Over thirty churches and local organizations working together to serve those in need.
$100 Average Grocery Cost
Each family receives a week of groceries packed with nutrition, care, and compassion.