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Sharing food....
Help Kent County Food Pantry feed families in need.
Are you seeking food for yourself, your family, a neighbor, co-worker or friend?
Call us at the Food Pantry.
410-778-0550
We are located in downtown Chestertown, Maryland at Christ United Methodist Church.
On the corner of High and Mill Streets, please use the Mill Street entrance.
The Pantry is open every Tuesday, Thursday and second Wednesday of the month from 10:00 a.m. – noon.
Our mailing address is P.O. Box 346, Chestertown, Maryland 21620.
The Kent County Food Pantry provides supplemental food to persons with limited incomes. The Pantry’s goal is to ensure that all qualified clients in Kent County receive sufficient non-perishable food to meet their basic nutritional needs.
Eligibility is determined by Kent County’s Departent of Social Services, by local clergy, schools, law enforcement, and other caring individuals in the County.
If possible, please bring a written statement showing your need for food. The Kent County Food Pantry will provide food and give you a list of other food assistance options in your community, as well as other information you need to access food for you and your family.
If you need food, come to the Pantry Tuesday and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. until noon, or the second Wednesday of the month, 10 a.m. until noon. If you do not have a referral, come to the Pantry and obtain your food. You may bring your referral on your next visit.
A referral voucher can be obtained at the Kent County Department of Social Services (350 High Street in Chestertown) across from the Pantry.
Bring the voucher to The Food Pantry where you will meet our Program Director. This voucher allows you to receive 60 to 80 pounds or more of food depending on your family size.
Please also bring bags or boxes to carry food as the Pantry does not provide those.
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.
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Backpack Programs
Chestertown’s first “Dickens of a Christmas” event
With “A Christmas Carol,” Charles Dickens captured the Victorian revival of the holiday and helped establish our modern observance: family gatherings, seasonal food and drink, games, dancing, and festive generosity of spirit!
Now, you can recapture the fun and spirit of Dickens’ London as historic Chestertown, Maryland presents “A Dickens of a Christmas”, December 1-3, 2017.
Our charming downtown district will offer Victorian-themed food and entertainment to get everyone into the holiday spirit. Proceeds from many ticketed events will benefit the local food pantry.
On Friday evening, you can join an extra festive First Friday. Shops and galleries will offer complimentary snacks and beverages.
Saturday’s fun continues with nonstop music and performances from 10 am to 9 pm.
On Sunday morning, you can “Run Like the Dickens” in our 5k race through town and enter the kids in the “Dickens Dash” fun run.
Don’t be left out of the fun! Bring your friends and family.
Learn more at Everything Dickens!
Ferris Foundation Supports Backpack Program
The Carl and Constance Ferris Charitable Foundation has once again generously honored our work with the Backpack Programs in Kent County. The Food Pantry received a $25,000 donation in 2018 to be used to purchase food for the 300 Kent County Public School students presently receiving weekend “Backpack” food.
For fiscal year 2018, the Food Pantry purchased $40,000 of food to assist the four local programs serving our schools – Galena, Garnet, and Rock Hall Elementary Schools, and Kent County Middle School.. This charitable gift therefore makes a huge contribution towards enabling the Pantry to continue our mission of helping children who live with food insecurity.
The Backpack Program
Beginning in 2007, concerned citizens in Kent County at the grass roots level recognized the fact that a large number of our children live in homes where there is insufficient food, and as a result, local backpack programs emerged. The Backpack Program refers to organized efforts in our community to provide a bag of nutritious meals and snacks for school children on a weekly basis. These foods are provided for the weekend when school breakfasts and lunches are not available to children who live with food insecurity. The goal is to relieve immediate hunger and to allow children to come to school on Monday feeling well and ready to learn.
In school year 2017-2018, 981 of the 2001 students enrolled in Kent County Public Schools received free / reduced price breakfast and lunch, almost 50% of the total school population. This school year, volunteers are packing meals for 330 students, 34% of the students with free / reduced lunch status:
The Backpack Program began in Rock Hall 10 years ago. Garnett Elementary students were added in 2009, Kent County Middle in 2010, and soon followed by the other elementary schools. The high school was added in the spring of 2019.
The Community Food Pantry learned of these efforts of volunteers in churches and civic organizations, and in 2010 invited the backpack committees to order shelf stable individual servings of food from the Maryland Food Bank at no charge. Presently the Food Pantry is funding almost $40,000 backpack food a year. The Pantry relies on donations from local citizens, institutions, businesses and groups, along with the Carl and Constance Ferris Charitable Trust to fund the Program. In addition, many individuals, churches and other organizations purchase food or make financial contributions directly to the community groups who do the packing of the food.
Donations for the Backpack Program can be mailed to Backpack Program, c/o The Community Food Pantry, P.O. Box 346, Chestertown, MD 21620. Please make out the check to “Backpack Program.”