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Micro Pantry Mission

1 out of every 9 Medford residents struggles with food insecurity. What that means is that 1 out of every 9 of our neighbors is forced to choose between purchasing food and paying for other essentials such as rent, bills, and medication. The COVID pandemic has only made the problem worse.

Our micro pantry mission addresses this need by making it easy for neighbors to help neighbors.

Sanctuary’s Pantry

Sanctuary’s micro food pantry is located in the business lot behind our storefront at 458 High Street in Medford. Like all micro pantries, it’s open 24/7 both for those in need of food and for those who would like to donate food.

The Mission

The Medford Micro Pantry Food Mission is dedicated to helping end hunger in Medford, MA by empowering neighbors to help neighbors. What started with the installation of a single micro food pantry at a church in Medford is now a movement with 17 micro pantries open 24/7 around our City!

If you would like to get more deeply involved in caring for the pantries and helping get more installed, we invite you to like our Medford Micro Pantry page on Facebook.

Micro Pantry Rules

The guiding principle of the micro pantry mission is the mantra: Take what you need, Leave what you can. We leave it to the neighborhoods and communities where the pantries are installed to keep them stocked. Likewise, in the interest of safety, we empower all volunteers to watch for and dispose of inappropriate non-food items, expired, and perishable food.

Check out this list of appropriate items for donation and prohibited items: 

Appropriate Items

  • Canned vegetables, soups, meats
  • Shelf-stable boxed/bagged dinners, pasta, rice 
  • Shelf-stable milk, oil, peanut butter, egg substitute/powder
  • Fruit cups/sweet treats
  • Granola, cereal, oatmeal
  • Baking goods, spices, coffee, tea
  • Any other non-perishable, unopened food you can donate
  • unopened and wrapped personal care items: diapers, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, feminine hygiene
  • unopened, non-perishable pet foods

Inappropriate Items

  • Any and all medicine (regardless of condition)
  • Unwrapped, open, damaged, or expired food
  • Fresh produce, dairy, or proteins
  • Non-food items such as clothing or books

If you’re in a position to help keep a micro pantry stocked, your donation can be added to the pantry at any time. Thanks for your generosity!

Get Involved

Here are some easy ways you can support the micro pantry mission (clickable links):