Hours
Wednesdays 11:00 - 3:00
Give your hands to serve and your hearts to love.
Location
50 Mungertown Road
What We Offer
Our pantry is licensed with the Connecticut Food Bank as a Supplemental Pantry. This means that we provide three meals per person for three days. There is a wonderful selection of both perishable and nonperishable items including fresh fruit and vegetables. We also distribute a selection of personal care items that N2N, another local non-profit, generously provides to our clients.
Entry Requirements
We realize that asking for help can be a difficult thing to do. That's why the MCS Food Pantry is open to any Madison Resident that crosses our threshold. If you need our assistance this is what you need to do:
- Come to the pantry during our regular shopping hours
- Show Proof of Residency: a driver's license and piece of mail with name and address
- Register one shopper per houshold
That's it! We do remind you that all of our staff are volunteers and ask you to treat them with the respect that they deserve.
Our Location
The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be ignited.
... pantry news from the blog
Hunger on the shore... a brief history of the MCS Pantry
In 2006 Madison Community Services, Inc. Opened Its Food Pantry
...in a small closet located in the Social Services Building serving approximately 10 clients per week.
In December of 2008 We Expand
...the number of clients had increased so much that the space was no longer adequate and MCS moved the pantry to a room in Hubley Hall at the First Congregational Church. The donated space was large enough to fit refrigeration which allowed us the opportunity to provide perishable items for the first time. The pantry remained there until 2011 when our client base reached 40 and we outgrew our home at FCC.
By 2011 We Expand Again
... In April we relocated to an industrial unit at Milano’s Orchard Park where we currently serve 100 clients each week. One hundred shoppers translates to 300-350 people who count on receiving food from the pantry to meet their basic needs. For these clients, the pantry has become a necessity.
What many do not know is that we are fully funded by the generosity of others and do not receive any government funds. As the need for the MCS Food Pantry continues to grow, the cost of providing this service also grows exponentially. We could not do it without the continuing support of the Madison Community. Individuals, civic organizations, local businesses and religious organizations help us provide supplemental food to our clients by donating volunteer hours, money and perishable & non-perishable food items.The MCS Food Pantry is maintained year round by volunteers who collect provisions for distribution. In December of 2008 our pantry was moved and expanded to our new location. It is open to Madison residents every Wednesday from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Non-perishable and perishable items are now available.
By 2016 We Expand Again our Hours of Operation
... In April of 2016 we realized that there were many individuals that do work but still struggle with feeding their families. To meet this need we decided to open on Tuesday evenings for those that cannot shop on Wednesdays because of their work schedules.
The Food Pantry receives an unbelievable amount of support from our community. We have so many wonderful sponsors and are grateful for everything they do!
Stop & Shop donates meats... Many local businesses provide fresh baked goods... Big Y provides a 30% discount on purchases... and the list goes on. Be sure to read our blog and visit our Sponsor's Page to see how generous of spirit the madison community is... Below is a hint of their generosity.
Gordon Gregoretti
Gordon generously pays our rent each month at the commercial location.
The story: Margaret Diglio was speaking on our behalf at a local civic organization and was asked what was on her wish list.
Since moving to the commercial location ate a good chunk of our budget, she replied “someone to pay our rent.”
Within the week Gordon approached us and has been donating the equivalent of our rent and electric bill ever since.
N2N
N2N provides all the personal care items for our pantry clients and co-sponsors the home delivery program with us.
The story: MCS received a grant from The Madison Foundation back when we were located at the First Congregational Church. The grant supplied our clients with personal care items for one year.
Since the Foundation only allows for one-time grants of this kind, they formed a new non-profit Neighbor to Neighbor so they could continue to provide personal care items to our clients.
Jim and Shelia Popp
Shelia is one of our Pantry volunteers.
One day Shelia talked about the pantry with her husband Jim.
Jim was so touched by the fact that Madison, known as an affluent town, could have so many of its seniors and children going hungry that he was moved to arranged for us to apply for a grant.
The next thing you know, we were receiving a $20,000 grant from the foundation run by his company!
Contact Us
Donate:
Send Your Tax Deductible Donations to:
MCS, Inc
P.O. Box 148
Madison, CT 06443
... Lets Stay Connected
About MCS, Inc.
Madison Community Services, Inc is an all volunteer nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization providing services and assistance to Madison residents since 1930. 100% of funding is from private donations, without any town, state or federal funding.
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