Services

Our pantry offers clients in need emergency food for three meals a day for three days. We believe in empowering the people we serve by offering them choices about the assistance they accept. Clients may choose from a variety of options from each of the five food groups to suite their needs. The amount of food from each food group offered increases for larger families. We recently completed a remodel of our pantry that allows us more frozen storage and a greater variety of food options for our clients.

Rules & Regulations

To qualify for our services families must live within the Mexico school district, sign that they meet income requirements and provide the following paperwork:
- Mail for the family’s current address
- Proof children attend the Mexico schools
- Dates of birth for all family members

The pantry will be closed on all holidays. These closings will be posted a month in advance.
This is an emergency food assistance program: clients may only visit the pantry once per month. Unused visits cannot be rolled over. In the event of an emergency, please call first.

Clients are asked to be polite and considerate to our volunteers. If you have questions or concerns, please ask our volunteers. They will be happy to clarify or correct any issue.
Anyone found misrepresenting him or herself to the pantry, or any client who sells, trades or gives pantry food to people other than those residing in the client’s home could lose their eligibility for pantry use. Please let the volunteers know of any changes in household status.

All new clients must fill out an intake form before receiving services, and whenever your household status changes. A volunteer can assist you with completing the form.

Food items typically available:

Proteins: frozen meats, eggs, canned meats, such as tuna and chicken; canned meals, such as chili and ravioli
Grains: cereals; crackers; pastas; boxed items, such as macaroni and cheese
Dairy: various cheeses, yogurt, fresh milk, shelf stable milk
Vegetables: spaghetti sauce, instant potatoes, various canned vegetables
Fruits: various juices, canned fruits
Extras: margarine, jellies, syrups, condiments, soups
Other items we provide (when possible):
- Fresh fruits and vegetables
- Loaves of bread
- Other unique donated food items

Other Services

As a partner of the Food Bank of Central New York, nutrition education and advocacy are built into our services. Our aim is to educate the community about solutions to the issue of hunger.

In addition to food assistance, we also work to help our clients in other ways, with the goal of helping them become more self-sufficient. Examples include:

Community bulletin board
Complimentary copies of local newspapers
Recipes for unusual food items
Literature on other assistance programs available