Brotherly Love: Delaware County Church Becoming Hub In Fight Against Hunger, And It's More Than Just Food
HAVERFORD, Pa. (CBS) -- A Delaware County church has become something of a hub in the fight against hunger, and it is about more than food.
At this market, the food is fresh.
"These fresh radishes came in this morning," volunteer Sharon Lewis said.
The service is personal, and it's free.
"I come here because it saves money," Andrew Tingle said.
This is the pantry of Memorial Church of God in Christ in Haverford.
"When they look at the location of the church, the first thing that comes to mind is, 'You're on the Main Line,'" Pastor Daren Miller said. "There's no food insecurity on the Main Line.' That's proven to not be true."
Miller started the small pantry in 2018.
Now, it is an engine of connection, partnering with grocery stores and nonprofits like Philabundance, the Share Food Program and Food Connect, and it's powered by a few dozen regular volunteers.
"In my whole life, wherever I see a need, I try to fill a small gap," Betty Lou Thompson said.
On some days, the pantry is open for prearranged pickup and delivery.
"Families that don't drive or are elderly and can't get out or are sick and shut-in," Lewis said.
"It's only me and my wife, so it's too much food for two people," Samuel Moore said. "So we share with some of our friends every week."
Demand for food surged in 2020. At its pandemic peak, the pantry was serving as many as 1,000 people a week.
That number has dropped by about half. But half means hunger is not over.
So, the pantry with the personal touch is not going anywhere.
"The one thing we were able to do was to create an environment that was different than the stigma of normal food pantries," Miller said.
The pantry has hours for the public to shop on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
For more information, click here.
