Food Pantry

We believe that one of the most powerful ways in which we can end hunger in our communities is first to recognize it.

The number of Americans living in poverty is rising. The official poverty rate in 2007 was 12.5%, or 37.3 million people, up from  34.6 million people in 2002. (United States Census Bureau, Poverty in the United States 2007)

As many poor families continue to make the difficult transition from welfare to work, as their benefits are cut or reduced, they are finding that their meager wages are not sufficient to meet their basic needs - child care, transportation, and housing just to name a few. Too often, a family finds that it must cut their food budget or turn to a local charity for aid.

In the last decade, hunger-relief agencies have found that the greatest increase in hungry Americans has been among the working poor. Despite their hard work, they cannot always make ends meet. And increasingly, they are turning to charities for hunger relief.

If you have safe, edible food or a food ingredient, we can probably find a way to use it.

We do value nutrition and care about convenience. We naturally prefer high-value foods that people can easily use. But whatever you have, please take the simple first step of contacting us so we can work together to make the best possible use of all of the food resources in our communities.

To ensure food safety, The Mary Lee Food Pantry cannot use:

• Rusty or unlabeled cans
• Perishable items
• Homemade items
• Noncommercial canned or packaged items
• Alcoholic beverages, mixes or soda
• Open or used items
   

The Mary Lee Food Pantry needs these nutritious foods:

• Canned meats (tuna, chicken, salmon)
• Canned and boxed meals (soup, chili, stew, macaroni and cheese)
• Peanut butter
• Canned or dried beans and peas (black, pinto, lentils)
• Pasta, rice, cereal
• Canned fruits
• 100 percent fruit juice (canned, plastic or boxed)

Food drives provide some of the healthiest and highest-quality food we receive. Food donations also provide a direct connection between donors and people who are hungry.

Cash donations keep our freezers and pantries full as well as keeping our trucks and vans operational so that we may continue to pick up and deliver our food. 

If you would like to make a donation online, for any amount, please click on the "Donate Now" button located to your right.  And again, thank you for donating to the Mary Lee Foundation Food Pantry.

Business hours are 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday.