Cars outside HOPE United Methodist Church during food pantry distribution. The facility serves more than 2,000 people each month.
The parking lot of HOPE United Methodist Church hums with steady motion each month for the church’s Drive-Through of Grace, a food pantry that began in a small closet in 2004 and now serves more than 2,000 people in the area every month.
Every second, fourth, and fifth Wednesday, more than 100 volunteers pack food and direct traffic for a mission whose purpose is printed boldly on the volunteers’ shirts: “To become more like Jesus, for the sake of others.”
The need has never been greater. Rising costs and the recent interruption of SNAP benefits during the federal government’s shutdown have left some New Jersey families struggling to afford food. Roughly 42 million Americans have been affected nationwide, including 800,000 in the state and 75,000 in Camden County.
Although partial contingency funds have been released to restore some benefits – as of deadline, the government shutdown continued – community organizations like HOPE Church are filling the growing gaps.
“We’ve seen more than 50 new families in just the last week,” said Rev. Dave Falcone, who oversees the pantry ministry. “Some told us they never imagined they’d need help. But hunger doesn’t discriminate.”
Founded 35 years ago, HOPE Church has about 600 members. The congregation’s renovation of a former bank building on Cooper Road in 2012 and its transformation in 2021 into a food distribution site have turned ordinary spaces into places of service.
“What was once a place of financial transactions has become a place of generosity,” Falcone noted. “People drive through the same lanes where money once changed hands. Now, they receive something far more valuable: care, hope and dignity.”
HOPE’s food pantry – in partnership with the Food Bank of South Jersey – is among the largest in South Jersey. Recipients include retirees on fixed incomes, parents between jobs, and newcomers adjusting to life in a new country.
The church is launching its annual Thanksgiving Box Initiative this month by inviting community members to fill boxes with holiday groceries while local partners contribute turkeys. The effort will provide meals for more than 400 households this holiday season.
“When the systems of the world break down,” Falcone reflected, “the people of God step up. The world runs on scarcity. The Gospel runs on abundance. And we’re here to remind people – there’s still enough grace to go around.”
If you need food assistance, visit meethope.org/foodpantry for hours, registration detailsand distribution dates. To make a donation, go to meethope.org/give and select Food Pantry Ministry from the drop-down menu.
