Our Story
2001
The Caring Cupboard was born out of an idea from a first-to-third-grade Sunday school class. Soon after using a cupboard in their classroom, the church moved the pantry to the basement where it operated until 2006.
2006
Palmyra Area Cooperating Churches, now Palmyra - A Caring Community, aided The Caring Cupboard to purchase Royer's Flower shop at 131 N Railroad Street. On October 2 of that year, The Caring Cupboard welcomed its first guests to the new location. Immediately after opening in a more visible location all aspects of the operation doubled: those we serve, volunteers, and supporters.
2011
The Caring Cupboard became a partner of Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and began providing more and different food options for families. Additionally, The Caring Cupboard began to offer the senior box program and TEFAP, which allowed families to access more food.
2018
The Caring Cupboard received the Agency Partner of the Year Award Runner-Up from Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.
2020
The Caring Cupboard responded to the COVID-19 crisis by pivoting its services to outdoors from March-August. It welcomed 235 new families who struggled during the global pandemic.
2023
Today, The Caring Cupboard has taken on a significant role in addressing food insecurity by assuming Jonestown Outreach Food Pantry (JOY). This merger has allowed us to expand our reach and impact, now serving an impressive 40% of the population of Lebanon County. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to provide assistance and support to such a large portion of our community.
But our growth doesn't stop there. In our relentless pursuit of enhancing support for the community, we have ambitious plans to further expand the operating hours of the Jonestown Outreach Food Pantry (JOY). By extending our hours, we aim to accommodate the schedules and needs of an even wider range of individuals, providing them with more opportunities to access vital food assistance.