Our Food Pantry

The Father McKenna Center operates a client-choice Food Pantry four days a week. We offer fresh produce and other healthy items for low-income households, particularly seniors, who are residents of D.C.

Food Pantry Hours

Open 1:30 to 2:30 PM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

  • Bring D.C. picture ID to every visit
  • Bring one of the following on first visit for proof of D.C. residency:
    • Lease
    • Mortgage with name and address
    • Rent receipt with name and address
    • Utility bill with name and address

Our neighbors

The Father McKenna Center operates a 4-day-a-week Food Pantry for low-income households in D.C.

As our city has redeveloped, many of our long-term residents are experiencing food insecurity. The Center has been meeting these needs since we were founded in 1983, and there is more demand than ever before.

The Food Pantry is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Households seeking food assistance check in with volunteers and have a shopping experience allowing them to select the products they want to meet their specific household’s needs. We find this approach to be rewarding – supporting healthy meals, the dignity of choice, and reducing waste.

Households may visit the Food Pantry as often as every two weeks. We provide food that supports more than 45,000 meals annually. The Food Pantry also builds community – the same families will regularly shop on the same schedule, building relationships with each other and the volunteers. Click here to experience a visit to our Food Pantry

The Father McKenna Center Food Pantry provides an atypical pantry experience by offering both non-perishable and fresh goods. We stock the Pantry with food from the Capital Area Food Bank, private and group donations, and purchases made possible by our donors.

Cash donations are the most flexible way for us to meet the changing needs of the Food Pantry’s patrons. We also welcome organizations holding canned food drives, as we know this reveals the challenge of food insecurity in our communities and promotes dialogue. We do maintain a specific needs list, please contact Emily Dold for details.

Healthy Meals

Dignity of Choice, Reducing Waste

We believe that reducing a family’s anxiety about putting food on the table, allows space for the grace of sharing, conversation, and care around that table. In the words of our inspiration, Fr. Horace McKenna,

You cannot speak to a person about his or her soul, when they have no food.

Volunteer

We are looking for volunteers to help “shop”
for canned goods in our Food Pantry

We also need help to stock our shelves and to distribute fresh produce, milk, eggs, meat, and bread. We ask volunteers to help set up and clean up the food pantry area as well. Training is provided.

FOOD PANTRY SIGN UP

Food Pantry

with Mrs Thelma Wise

Our former CEO Kim Cox talks to one of our regular food pantry users about the value of the center’s Food Pantry during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

We seniors really need our food … Great Food … Great Food. Been coming here for many decades when Father McKenna was here

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