About Us | Feeding Hands

Our Mission

Feeding Hands exists to live out God’s commandment to care for the poor by loving and serving our neighbors in need.

Our Strategy

We will build an organization of excellence, modeling how to develop pantry programs to profoundly impact both those in need and those who serve them. Service to those who are struggling, when done right, changes the lives of those in need, builds the discipleship walk of those who serve, and glorifies their creator. We will engage the community, especially Christians and their churches, helping them to understand how to utilize their gifts to create vibrant change both inside and outside their walls and hearts.

Our Core Values

Empathy

We seek to understand our neighbor and respond with empathy. We treat them as we would want to be treated -with dignity and compassion- while encouraging accountability for their own choices.

Connection

We understand the need of people to connect to each other, to society, and to their creator. We understand poverty can be more than a lack of financial resources. Difficulty meeting physical needs can be compounded by a lack of spiritual and human relationships. Lack of financial resources can lead to isolation creating a vicious cycle. We provide opportunity for our neighbors in need to connect at all these levels thereby providing a hand up rather than just a hand out.

Stewardship

We seek to efficiently and effectively use our resources to produce the greatest return for Christ.

We opened a food pantry in Somerville designed to demonstrate caring at its best. In May 2014, we began operating out of donated space in a small 30 member church. Sixty percent of Emmanuel Church stepped up and volunteered to serve. As the church saw the impact of what was happening, they allowed use of all of their main floor space for pantry operations. Although we are open only a few hours each Tuesday, we grew very quickly and are serving over 220 families each month. We distribute almost 10,000 pounds of meat, produce and non-perishables each month to veterans, the working poor, persons with disabilities, seniors and the unemployed. Approximately 40% of our guests walk to our pantry as they do not have automobiles. Many use 75% or more of their income to live in boarding houses where there is not even a communal kitchen. And all this takes place in the county seat of one of the richest counties in America. And we are only reaching the tip of the iceberg.

We treat each guest as we would like to be treated and the result is AMAZING…for the guests, the volunteers and the church who shared their space with us!