Local food pantry seeking community help with influx of summer traffic, donations needed
OCEAN CITY, Md.- The Shepherd’s Crook Food Pantry is devoted to making sure no one is Ocean City goes without food, but increased costs and extra foot traffic are making that a challenge.
In the pantry you’ll find shelves of non-perishable food items, water, and even hygiene products. Yet, keeping those shelves stocked is an obstacle. “We have people who are food insecure or homeless year-round, but in the summertime, we have the influx of students who are coming here to Ocean City in work, and they just need a little helping hand to get through,” Pastor Jill said.
Team Lead Nancy Knotts says with J1 workers in town, the amount of need they see doubles. She adds they have to kick things into high gear to keep up with demand. “We are spending two to three times more than what we would be in the winter during the summertime,” Knotts said.
Due to that increase in expenses, they’ve had to make some tough decisions to stay afloat. “In the wintertime, we’re open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. In the summer, we close on Saturday because we don’t have enough food for four days,” Knotts said.
The pantry is operated out of the St. Paul’s by the Sea Episcopal Church, which also provides funding. We’re told several other organizations and small businesses in the area provide donations regularly as well.
Pastor Jill Williams says they can’t do it alone and now they’re seeking donations from the community to maintain their level of service. “Everyone takes care of St. Paul’s and St. Paul’s would like to take care of everyone too,” Pastor Jill said.
Pastor Jill also tells us each person who walks in the door isn’t just getting a meal. “It’s not really about food, it’s really about forming relationships and becoming a true community,” Pastor Jill said.
Food and monetary donations are being accepted now and we’re any donation whether big or more will go a long way.
To find out more information, you can contact the church at (410)-289-3453.
The pantry is located at 302 N. Baltimore Ave.
