Who We Serve
- Residents of all ages living in Kent County
- People with disabilities
- Low income elderly
- Children in low-income households
- Families with part-time or low paying jobs
- Unemployed men and women
What We Give
A qualifying family will receive three or more bags each month.
Each Pantry bag includes plenty of non-perishable foods and everyday items needed by all.
Items such as: toilet paper, soap, toothpaste and other personal products.
Covid-19 update from the Community Food Pantry!
We are open
We are open and willing to distribute food during this difficult time.
Curbside pickup will be available during regular hours. We are open every Tuesday, Thursday and second Wednesday of the month from 10:00 a.m. – noon.
We are located in downtown Chestertown, Maryland at Christ United Methodist Church on the corner of High and Mill Street.
For the safety of our volunteers
We are going to make this work and know that we will someday get back to our regular routines!
Stay safe!
Chester Gras Benefits Backpack Programs
For the seventh year in a row, Peoples Bank and many generous local sponsors, will put their energy, staff, and finances behind Chester Gras, a Mardi Gras celebration that benefits our backpack programs. On February 22, 2020, beginning at 11:30, the event will take place in a large heated tent on Spring Street, adjacent to the Peoples Bank in downtown Chestertown. The event features delicious gumbos donated by area restaurants as well as some Cajun food, a silent auction, children’s activities, a colorful parade on High Street, and lively music by Phil Dutton and the Alligators. This family-friendly event is well attended by people of all ages – some in Mardi Gras attire! Over the past six years, Chester Gras has raised significant funding for the Food Pantry to purchase food for the five backpack programs in Kent County Schools as well as in Sudlersville. These volunteer run programs provide weekend food (in the students’ backpacks) for children in our public schools who live with food insecurity. Last year, over $10,000 was raised, thanks to all the participants, Peoples Bank staff, generous sponsors from business and individual donations, and many volunteers from the community.
For more information or if you wish to donate resources or time, please contact the Food Pantry either through this website or call 410-778-0550. You may call the Backpack Program Coordinator, Rachel Perry, at 410-810-3949 or email rachelperrypanas@gmail.com. Thank you!
New Program Director
We are so pleased to introduce you to our new Program Director: Susan Caswell. She is a delight and has taken on this role with her trademark joy and excellence.
She has always tried to be involved in some form of committee/church service and has a desire and obligation to share with those less fortunate. Sue has served on the Community Food Pantry Board, most specifically involved with our efforts to serve children.
Sue has had a dual career, first in healthcare administration and then as an educator. She has taught all levels of students in both private and public schools. She spent her formative years in Turkey. It taught her the value of different cultures and a desire to know people from all over the world.
An interesting tidbit: Sue attended a boys’ prep school in Western Massachusetts. It was at the time when girls’ and boys’ schools had declining enrollments because kids did not want to go to gender specific schools. Five faculty daughters were invited to attend as guinea pigs to see what it was like to have girls on campus. Needless to say, she did not play on the football team. She did mention that the school merged with a nearby girls’ school so they must have been a least somewhat acceptable.
Sue has a wonderful husband Lansing, who is a professor at WAC, a son, Rob, a Thai daughter-in-law, Roj, and a sweet granddaughter, Hannah. She also has four dogs and six cats.
Her hobbies are sewing, cooking, gardening, kayaking, knitting, reading.
We hope you will welcome her with much love.