Food Pantry celebrates 20 years of combating food insecurity in the community

The Park Terrace Food Pantry is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this month. The Pantry opened in the basement of the Park Terrace Community United Methodist Church at 30 Glann Rd. in Apalachin because of a need identified by the church and community members. Because of their initiative and hard work, the Pantry opened in January 2004 and continues to help fill that need today through the hard work and generosity of its volunteers and other community members.

The Pantry previously served only Western Broome and Eastern Tioga Counties, and community members just over the Pennsylvania border. During COVID the Pantry opened its doors to anyone in need since several pantries closed during that time, serving people as far as Whitney Point, Port Crane, Glen Aubrey and Waverly, N.Y.

Unfortunately, the food insecurity issue in the community is far from solved and the numbers served over the years just keeps growing. 

The Pantry is a partner of the Food Bank of the Southern Tier in Elmira and works closely with the Tioga County Hunger Coalition. Tioga Opportunities, Inc sponsors the Pantry. It also shares a relationship with the Apalachin Lion’s Club, Boy Scout Troop 43, Our Lady of Good Council’s Confirmation Classes, the Apalachin Elementary School, the Tioga Hills Elementary School, the Lockheed Martin MENU program, CHOW, and Weis in Endicott.

The Pantry operates on donations, grants, and food drives by community agencies. Most of its food is purchased through the Food Bank of the Southern Tier with the donated funds.

The Pantry couldn’t do what it does if not for the kindness and generosity of the members of the community, the Park Terrace Community United Methodist Church for allowing the Pantry to reside in the basement of the church, and to a special benefactor that generously donates regularly; but the pantry could not do without the dedicated group of hard-working volunteers for all the “heavy lifting”.

The Pantry is open every Saturday (except for major holidays – Christmas and New Years) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 30 Glann Rd. in Apalachin.

In Celebration of the 20th Anniversary, the volunteers will be celebrating with a luncheon at the end of this month.