Our History
More than 40 years ago, the secretary at St. Mary’s by the Sea Episcopal Church in Point Pleasant Beach, NJ prepared a box of food for a family in need. With that act of kindness the foundation of St. Gregory’s Pantry was formed.
Over the years, volunteers came to help; individuals, businesses and community organizations contributed food and money, and everyone had the same thought – we are an affluent community; if we have families who are struggling, we need to help.
Fast forward to today and St. Gregory’s Pantry has evolved into something much bigger than Dorothy, the church secretary, ever imagined. Today, St. Gregory’s has over 250 volunteers, is open five days a week and has three major holiday distributions.
- The Pantry is a 100% volunteer organization
- Approximately six volunteers work every weekday
- The holiday distributions include volunteers from area schools, boy scouts, girl scouts, sports teams and many other organizations
- St. Gregory’s Pantry serves about 50 families per week
- Each holiday distribution serves approximately 300 families
- The holiday distributions include filled baskets at Easter, and new toys and gifts for children at Christmas
Our Volunteers
St. Gregory’s Pantry volunteers range in age from kindergarteners who make holiday cards, to high school students who carry cases of food and make deliveries, to people who take the day off from work “just to help”, to retirees, who often work as hard as they did during their careers. The volunteers come from all walks of life; they are the core of The Pantry. There is no one person who makes the pantry run – it is a group effort that just seems to work.
804 Bay Avenue
Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742
Participating Churches
All Saints Episcopal Church
The Bay Head Chapel
Central United Methodist Church
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Harvey Memorial United Methodist Church
Point Pleasant Presbyterian Church
Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church
St. Martha’s Roman Catholic Church
St. Mary’s-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church
Mission Statement
A community of committed volunteers representing the various community churches in the Greater Point Pleasant area devoting time and energy to provide temporary food relief and basic necessities to those in need.
How We Help
Through the generosity and commitment of individuals, churches, businesses, schools, clubs, and various service organizations in our community, St. Gregory’s Pantry provides temporary aid to approximately 10,000 individuals annually.
Major distribution events are held during Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas:
Each distribution serves approximately 300 families.
Special Projects:
Please continue to check our website for updates.
Easter
March, April: Easter Collection and Distribution
We collected Filled Easter Baskets and food donations for our families again in 2024. We thank our generous community for your donations and support.
Thanksgiving
Thank you to all who contributed to our Thanksgiving Distribution. We appreciate the donations of non-perishable food and the time our volunteers gave to help those in our community.
Christmas
We are currently collecting unwrapped, new toys and gift cards for infants through teens. (We are not able to collect clothing or stuffed animals.) Toy donations are being accepted through Friday, December 13th. No deadline for gift cards.
Who We Help
Individuals and families who are struggling to make ends meet.
St. Gregory’s Pantry is most grateful for all the support our community has given us. Anyone who has the time and desire to help is welcome. 100% of our dollars donated are used for food and client needs. We are a 501c3 organization.