Community Partnerships and Support

Since its inception, Moravia Hope Pantry’s partnership with the Food Bank of CNY has helped inspire additional support from organizations that recognize the community’s needs. These partners include, but are not limited to:

• Ripley Family Farm, a dairy farm in Moravia, which provides liquid milk.

• River Valley, a food distribution company in East Syracuse, New York, which provides items such as chips, drinks, and candy.

• Matthew 25 Farm, a produce farm in Tully, New York, which provides fresh produce throughout the growing season.

• Moravia Dollar General, which provides grocery items, household cleaning supplies, and personal care products.

  The pantry is also deeply grateful for the financial support of local churches, businesses, community organizations, and individual donors.

Finding a Permanent Home

Moravia Hope Pantry’s first home was in a small portion of the former Chronicle Guidance building, a publishing company in Moravia. When the owners sold the property in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the pantry was left without a permanent location.

During this transition, the pantry continued serving clients through drive-up food distribution. The Moravia Fire Department provided space during the summer months in an area previously occupied by “Big Bertha,” and St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church offered use of its community center during the winter. In 2021, Moravia Hope Pantry purchased the former Betty Blue restaurant and began converting it to meet pantry needs.

Programs Under Moravia Hope Pantry

Moravia Backpack Program

The Moravia Backpack Program operates under the guidance and umbrella of Moravia Hope Pantry. In early 2010, the program distributed its first ten bags of nutritious snacks to students after Moravia Central School District Superintendent Michelle Brantner raised concerns about food insecurity among students.

Since then, the program has grown to serve 127 students during the 2025–2026 school year. Students from Head Start through 12th grade receive 12 nutritious snack items each week during the school year, including four grain items, four fruit or vegetable items, and four protein or dairy items.

Summer Feeding Program

Because the Moravia Backpack Program operates during the school year, concerns grew about student access to food during the summer months. In response, the Summer Feeding Program began in summer 2015 in coordination with the Moravia Summer Recreation Program. Funded by the Food Bank of CNY, the program delivers nutritious lunches to Fillmore Glen State Park, where children can receive free meals Monday through Friday for more than six weeks.

Millstream Distribution

Moravia Hope Pantry also oversees an off-site distribution program at Millstream Court, an apartment complex in the heart of Moravia. Started in 2021 or 2022, this monthly distribution brings food and personal care items to low-income seniors and disabled residents who may be unable to attend regular pantry openings.

Moravia Community Garden

To help meet growing demand and provide fresh, nutritious food, the Moravia Community Garden began in summer 2025.

Located in the backyard of Moravia Hope Pantry, the garden produces fresh vegetables that are distributed during pantry openings or throughout the week as needed.

Powered by Volunteers and Donors

None of the work of Moravia Hope Pantry or its related programs would be possible without the generous and ongoing support of individuals, businesses, churches, and organizations throughout Moravia and the surrounding communities. Volunteers carry out the pantry’s work, and donations remain its primary source of funding. With this continued support, Moravia Hope Pantry expects to serve its neighbors well into the 21st century.