John Knox Community Food Pantry

The Pantry (formerly John Knox Community Food Pantry) is a nonprofit food pantry serving a 45-square-mile area in southern Kent County, where one in five residents and one in four children live in poverty. Founded in 1985 as a ministry of John Knox Presbyterian Church and incorporated as a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2014, the organization provides food assistance and personal care items alongside education programs, case management, and community gardens designed to empower individuals and families toward long-term self-sufficiency. The pantry distributes nearly half a million meals annually to approximately 10,000 families and emphasizes nutrition education through its NOW (Nutritional Options for Wellness) program, along with take-home raised garden kits and community garden opportunities.