A little over ten years ago, the North Buffalo Food Pantry needed a new home. The people of Parkside Lutheran welcomed the pantry with open arms and hearts. The pantry is located on the Linden Avenue side of the church, open on Saturday mornings from 9:00 to 1:00, serving the 14214, 14216, and 14217 zip codes. We average about 50 households a month. Every third Saturday the pantry is completely staffed by volunteers from the church.
In case of food emergencies, the pantry can be opened by church staff on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays between 10:00 and 3:00. This is by appointment only. You must call the church office at 716-836-1361 or email at parksidelutheran@gmail.com for assistance on week days.
Interested in Volunteering? Contact Pam Krieger at ppkrieger@verizon.net
In 2019 Parkside Lutheran renovated the pantry in order to better serve our neighbors. The renovation enabled the pantry to switch to client-choice model. This means folks can come in and pick out the items they actually like to eat instead of simply being handed a bag of preassembled goods. This model increases dignity and cuts down on food waste. Members of the church fundraised over $60,000 dollars and the Wendt Foundation provided a grant of $50,000 to make this possible. The space was blessed and renamed "Loaves and Fishes Room" Thank you to all the donors who made this happen!