Non-perishable food items are collected by congregations throughout Palm Beach County and taken to the closest pantry. Last year 32,061 people received emergency food, half of them children. One hundred percent of all funds received for the pantries are used to purchase food.

Volunteers are needed at the pantries Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., to sort and shelve food, to pack and distribute food bags, to pick-up food. Congregations and community groups are needed to collect food.

Each bag of food distributed from the pantries contains a slip of paper which reads:

"This is a gift of God's love from local churches and synagogues. The food pantry is a ministry of C.R.O.S. Ministries."

How we've helped Sharon and Jack were stable and secure until Sharon lost her job at the airline. Shortly after that, Jack was laid off. Their stability was suddenly gone and they were struggling to keep their home and feed their children. They came to the food pantry for help with food so they would have money to pay their mortgage.

Pantries are located at Florida Department of Children and Families offices in:

Riviera Beach:	2051 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Lake Worth:	4220 Lake Worth Rd.
Delray Beach:	1845 S. Federal Hwy.

Contact person:
    Donna Buchalter, Volunteer Coordinator   (561) 699-5113

    E-mail:  dbcros@bellsouth.net

Pantry Referral Procedure:
Individuals needing help require a written referral from a Department of Children and Families caseworker, a social service agency, or a church or synagogue. Food is given on a one-time basis to temporarily meet an emergency need.