Our mission at Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry is to feed and serve the hungry. We strive to eliminate food insecurity in Hancock County. We treat all with respect so that they leave our pantry not just with groceries, but also with dignity and hope.

Programs We Fund

Success Stories.

We recently got a very tentative call from a young woman who wanted to come shop at the pantry. She seemed very hesitant about coming in, and changed her mind multiple times – I do want to come in…never mind, I don’t want to come in…my kids are hungry, I do need to come in. She finally decided that her family’s hunger outweighed her reluctance and embarrassment at having to go to a food pantry. When she arrived at the Loaves & Fishes (with her sister in tow for moral support), she shared that she had recently found herself as a single mother with limited, part-time employment. She didn’t want to consider using the pantry until there was virtually nothing to eat at home and her kids were so hungry that they were depressed and unable to concentrate at school. (Despite this, the family was technically “making ends meet” at the time and thus didn’t qualify for SNAP benefits, school lunch, etc.) At Loaves & Fishes, this young mother was able to shop once a week without an appointment and select the food that she needed (including necessary, typically quite expensive, gluten-free items). She continued to shop at the pantry as she was getting back on her feet, every time discussing meals that she might prepare with the food and resources on offer at Loaves & Fishes. We no longer see her regularly, but she has let us know that her limited experience with us made a huge difference during a difficult time in her life, and let her focus on “fixing other things” without having to worry about her children going hungry.