Take what you need, leave what you can.

UPDATED: March 23, 2023

Help Us Fill our Shelves! 

 

THE FOOD PANTRY IS IN GREAT NEED OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:

Cereal & Breakfast FoodPeanut Butter
Cake Mix & Frosting
Long Life Milk
Apple Sauce
Bags of Rice
Juice Boxes & Bottled Juice
Ketchup

At this time, we cannot take reusable shopping bags. Thank you for your ongoing cooperation.

⇒Click Here for shopping list

Thank you to all that donate and to our faithful volunteers who come every Wednesday.  We are so thankful to each of you!    

We do offer a link to our Amazon WishList below. Please know this is a suggested list and we are accepting of any similar product and do not care about brands!

Looking for a great group activity to do with students, scouts, and youth groups? We always need bagged, shelf stable lunches to hand out at the Wednesday Food Distribution. 50-60 lunches are ideal but we will take any amount. Want to know how to make and assemble?

⇒Click Here for shopping list and instructions

About Us

The CUMC Community Food Pantry started mid March 2020 with a two plastic shelves outside our sanctuary doors at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. A simple sign asking people to “care well for each other” and instructions stating “take what you need-leave what you can” has been well received and supported by the Chatham and Madison communities. As our neighbors needs increase, our response has grown. Our “Pop Up Pantry” has been replaced with two weather sturdy sheds and remain accessible 24 hours a day-7 days a week and are located behind Chatham United Methodist Church at 460 Main Street. These sheds can be found adjacent to the Chatham Methodist Preschool Playground and the Chatham Middle School Parking lot. We rely on our community to keep our shelves well stocked.

Support Our Panty

  • Donate Online! If you would like to support of our efforts, Please Click Here and select CUMC Covid Relief/Community Food Distribution
  • Shop our Amazon WishList! CLICK HERE Please know this is a suggested list and we are accepting of any similar product and do not care about brands!
  • Checks made out to Chatham United Methodist Church may be mailed to the church at 460 Main Street, Chatham NJ 07928. Please include Covid Relief Fund in memo line.

Please do not put in fresh food! It will attract animals.

Thank you

At this time we are critically low in most items.

We always need…

  • Non Perishable Food Items such as: canned beans (black, pinto, navy etc.), Pasta and sauce, breakfast cereal, canned protein (tuna, chicken, turkey, ham, other fish) and jelly. Individually packaged snacks, baking mixes, pancake mix and syrup, condiments/salad dressings, cooking oil, and flour/sugar.
  • All personal care items such as: shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, mouthwash, shave cream, disposable razors, deodorant, shampoo/conditioner, feminine care products (pads), all sizes of diapers, baby wipes, and diaper cream. 

We are well supplied with the following donations and will NOT need more at this time:

We discourage the donation of baby food and baby formula. We also do not need adult incontinence supplies. We have found that these items usually expire before we are able to distribute it. 

We Do Not Take!! 

  • No fresh or frozen meat of any kind.
  • No dairy: including eggs, fresh milk, cheese, butter (unless delivered directly from a store/business)
  • No frozen foods
  • No bags of bread (we are supplied daily with Panera Bread)
  • No home baked goods
  • No items previously opened or not individually wrapped
  • Nothing expired

Please know that we only accept food or personal care items and cannot accept household goods, clothing, furniture, toys, etc.

We are so grateful for your continued support. Our community’s generosity is inspiring and appreciated.

The CUMC Community Food pantry is part of a community effort to address food insecurity among our neighbors. Additional efforts and our partners include: