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ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NY
"Just knowing that I am helping people
in the community means everything to me.
The pantry gives me life.
That is my livelihood.
It gives me purpose.”
- Sharon Sheppard
Sharon’s Pantry is named after Sharon Sheppard, the current assistant director of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center in Rockville Centre, New York. The Pantry is dedicated to helping local residents who face food insecurity.
The Pantry was co-founded in the spring of 2020 by Sharon Sheppard with the assistance of Karen Mobley, Rena Riback and some local organizations. At its inception we were assisting twenty-two families. That number has now increased to 115 families per week. We provide our services to Rockville Centre residents and to those in surrounding communities.
Sharon’s Pantry is an all volunteer group. We are supported by donations from the communities we serve, as well as by Island Harvest and Long Island Cares. All monetary donations go toward buying meat, fresh produce and other necessities.
Karen Mobley - Executive Director
Rena Riback - Chair
Sharon Sheppard - Vice Chair
Carol Fisher - Treasurer
Kiara Graham - Secretary
Board:
Joel Ezra
Courtney Taylor
Joell Mobley
Gerard McWalters
De'Juan Bacchas
115+
Families served every week
100%
Volunteer staff
220+
Weeks serving our community
0%
Percentage of donations that cover overhead
What is
food insecurity?
There are children who go to bed hungry, there are senior citizens who must decide between food and medicine or who do not have enough to afford nutritious food, parents who must choose paying the utility bill over purchasing enough food for their whole family, parents who take meager portions so their children do not have to feel the pangs of hunger and the subsequent effects such as impaired cognitive learning and behavioral issues.
If you have never had to make those choices, imagine what it must be like. These are our neighbors. They are people on fixed incomes, some working two or more jobs to try to make ends meet, people who may make just a little too much to qualify for federal nutrition programs. We serve families, seniors and veterans.
According to the Urban Institute in the summer of 2022 almost 25% of all households were food insecure, an increase of 6% from the spring of 2021. In some communities the percentage is even higher. Nearly 50% of these households are the “working poor” whose wages can’t keep up with the high cost of living in Nassau County.
On Long Island, 1 in 13 people face food insecurity, and nearly 1 in 3 households (32.5%) struggle to afford basic necessities, despite being employed.
Please help your neighbors facing food insecurity.
How you can help:
Please consider donating food, money or your time. Your generosity is deeply appreciated.
Drop Off Food
Food can be dropped off at the Rockville Centre MLK center every Monday-Friday from 9am-3pm.
Make a Donation
Sharon's Pantry is a 501(c)(3) organization. Monetary donations can be made through GiveButter or Zelle and are tax-deductible.
https://givebutter.com/SharonsPantry
Zelle: sharonspantryrvc@gmail.com
Volunteer
The pantry is open to the public every other Saturday. Join us to help distribute food to your neighbors in need.
Food Donations
Food and essentials can be dropped off at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center at 150 N. Centre Ave., Rockville Centre, NY 11570 every Monday through Friday from 9am to 3pm.
(Leaving Site, Opens in Google Maps)
The following items are always needed:
Canned Protein- Tuna, Salmon, Beans, Sardines, etc.
Canned Vegetables
Pasta and Pasta Sauce
Instant Potatoes
Rice
Complete Pancake Mix & Syrup
Cereal
Canned Fruit
Coffee & Tea
Condiments
Toiletries
Paper Towels, Napkins & Toilet Paper
