Radnor Middle School families donated a mountain of items to Wayne Cares in late November. RMS students stayed on at Wayne United Methodist Church to help sort their school’s donation.
In this land of milk and honey and horses, many go hungry.
Or would go hungry over these holidays were it not for the Main Line’s myriad pantries, food banks, volunteers and donor businesses and community groups.
Across the board, food pantries we contacted reported spikes in visitors this fall, cresting during the recent government shutdown when SNAP benefits were frozen.
Lower Merion’s ElderNet put out a plea for donations after cupboards at its Ada Mutch Food Pantry were depleted in November.
Wayne Cares, one of the area’s larger food pantries, saw a record-high distribution day in later November and is experiencing a 20% increase in foot traffic in 2025. A 501©3 nonprofit that partners with Philabundance and other food-sharing programs, Wayne Cares has fed 3,000 people from its pantry at Wayne United Methodist Church this year to date.
In Berwyn, Trinity Presbyterian Church has had “a steady increase in foot traffic” at its Caring Cupboard and “continues to monitor and assess the needs in the community,” reports Caring Cupboard Food Manager Matt Holthausen. The new Trader Joe’s in Berwyn has become a valued donor, he says.
Wayne Presbyterian Church dove headfirst into combatting hunger this fall. WPC’s “Beat the Birds to Tackle Hunger” initiative challenges congregants to donate more food items than the Eagles total rushing yards in each game.
With the team’s iffy ground attack this season, Wayne Pres has beat the Birds in all but two games. Donations are split between Great Valley Food Cupboard and Wayne Cares food pantry. Both have recenty expanded freezer and refrigerator capacity to meet demand and to offer fresher, more nutritious food.
Counts are also up at the smaller but impactful pantry at St. Norbert in Paoli, where a handful of new families stayed on after the federal shutdown, reports the program’s director Lisa Nishikawa. An average of 35 to 40 families pick up food weekly at St. Norbert. “We service anyone asking for food and don’t ask questions or require any documents.”
Devon resident Jean Kane has been regular volunteer at St. Norbert’s food pantry since the pandemic.
Who is using area pantries?
Disadvantaged families, some of whom are referred by community nonprofits like T and E Care, folks on fixed incomes and immigrants.
St. Norbert’s “serves a large Spanish-speaking group but we also have families from Eastern Europe,” says Nishikawa.
Historically, Wayne Cares has served the Highland Ave. and Mount Pleasant neighborhoods, among others.
Ardmore Food Pantry at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church has no residency or income restrictions and draws primarily from South Ardmore.
ElderNet focuses on lower-income seniors and the disabled community in Lower Merion.
Afghan and Ukranian refugees and a growing population of retirees have pushed up the region’s numbers, says Scott Lair, chair of the Local Mission Subcommittee of Wayne Presbyterian’s Faith in Action group.
So has inflation.
Across-the-board increases in food, healthcare and rent are also pushing more locals – even those with jobs – to rely on food assistance.
Need has risen steadily in the collar counties over the last decade. Studies show roughly 10 percent of Montgomery, Chester and Delaware County residents are currently experiencing food insecurity.
Chew on that for a while.
As always, an insightful, well-reaearvhed compendium of ways and places for generous mainliners to donate to those who find themselves struggling. There is no dearth of resources, as you have wonderfully compiled, but each needs further support from you, me, our neighbors, etc.
Thank you Caroline for your diligence and deep concerns for others in presenting a wide array of news, happenings and community needs. You are amazing‼️♥️
Thank you, Carole. Truly, my heart sings when my words help others.