Though Cranford is often thought of as a wealthy town, Faith Baptist Church provides food for 100 to 120 food insecure neighbors there each month. Founded in November 2021 when pantry managers Jim, Al, and Pat saw the need created by the pandemic, the pantry has grown primarily through word of mouth.
“We’d like to continue growing it because we know that there’s even more need out there,” they told us.
Faith Baptist serves people of all backgrounds, religions, and situations. By allowing clients to choose what they take, the pantry works to uphold dignity by giving neighbors the ability to shop the way they would in a grocery store. In an alcove of the church meeting room, the pantry walls are lined with canned vegetables, rice, nuts, cereal, and so much more.
“We’re a small church, but one thing we can do is feed people,” Jim, Al, and Pat said. “And that’s a tremendous help for so many.”