Choice Food Pantry

Our pantry is open on Monday through Friday, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

We are CLOSED on the first Friday of every month, and on major holidays.

Those who are eligible to access our pantry can receive full service once every 30 days. Based on the size of the household, we provide enough food to last for about five days. Emergency food pantries like ours are designed to supplement the food people can purchase for themselves with their own income and other benefits like SNAP.

We do also make fresh produce available on a daily basis, with no restriction on how often clients can come back for just these items.

If you are homebound and want to designate another person to visit the pantry on your behalf, you must provide us with…

• A completed proxy form that includes a phone number where we can contact you. (Download the form HERE.) The person you designate must have the completed proxy form with them when they come to the pantry. A staff member will call to verify that the individual has your permission to pick up food for you. You can change this at any time.
• Documentation of household income below 200% of poverty level. Not sure if you meet this criterion? View the household income limits HERE.

Call (937) 223-7217 ext.1114 if you have questions about this documentation.

Area food pantries are designated to serve residents of specific zip codes. If you live in the Dayton area and need to find a food pantry for your zip code, you can call United Way’s 24-hour “HelpLink 2-1-1” service, at (937) 225-3000.

Instead of receiving a pre-packaged box or bag of groceries from our pantry, our clients get to select the items they want based on their household size. The “choice” model respects the dignity of the client, and also helps reduce waste, as people aren’t taking home food items their families don’t like or might even be allergic to.

Most of the food we distribute comes to us through The Foodbank. We also receive donations from individuals, families, churches, businesses, schools and other community partners. Because we sometimes have need of items that have not come to us through these sources, we do also supplement our pantry shelves with items purchased through a wholesale source.

The Choice Food Pantry relies on many volunteers, and we’re always looking for more. We work with both individuals and groups, and volunteer service can be a one-time or ongoing opportunity. Call our volunteer coordinator at (937) 223-7217 ext.1130 for more information.

Here are some statistics from 2023:

• 13,405 unduplicated individuals served*
• 6,277 unduplicated families/households served*
• 26,338 full distributions
• 3,451 partial distributions (fruits & vegetables only)

*Each individual or family/household was only counted once, regardless of the number of times they were served by the pantry.