The Cardington Community Food Pantry is located at 128 Flint St. in Cardington. Please turn off State Route 42/W Main St. near the railroad track and car wash. Look for our sign. If cars are lined up, please go past, turn around and enter from the south. You have the option to drive through and pick up a pre-packed box or park and come inside to shop.
Please be sure dogs are on a leash or in the front with the driver to protect our volunteers who are loading vehicles.
On produce days, please make sure that you get in line at the back of the line. Registration folks will walk the line to help the process. They will give you a ticket. If you get to the front without a ticket, you will have to go around and get at the end of the line. Once we start the line will move pretty quickly.
To accommodate this process and make registration quick and easy, please make a reservation prior to your pantry or produce market visit.
Use FreshTrak website to make a reservation. Click here to access and scroll down the page to find the specific date.
Call 567-240-1637and leave a voicemail or email [email protected] and a food pantry volunteer will respond.
For the safety and health of everyone, we do ask that you refrain from coming into the pantry if you have any symptoms of illness. If coming inside, shirts and shoes are required.
Volunteers are needed during Wednesday pantry hours as well as on Tuesday mornings to unload delivery truck and pre-pack boxes. If you would like to volunteer, please email [email protected].
*************************************************************************************************************************************************** How often can I visit? Families may visit once per month during the regular Wednesday hours from 9:00 am to noon. To avoid long lines we ask that you shop as per the schedule below, if possible.
Closed 5th Wednesday of the month.
Please note Pantry will be CLOSED on the following dates: 2025: Oct 29, Nov 26, Dec 24, 31
Also, if Morrow County is under a level 2 or 3 weather emergency, the Pantry will be closed.
Produce Markets: Open to all qualifying families in Central Ohio, Produce Market days will be held at 128 Flint St. normally on the 2nd Tuesday of every month from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.
2025: Nov 11, Dec 9
A written proxy note is required to pick up produce for another family. The note must have the signature of the person requesting the pick up, his/her address and phone number so that we can verify the request. The note must have the number and ages of the family members: Seniors___ Adults___Children___. See sample proxy letter that you can download and print to use.
How do I qualify to get food? The Pantry serves families who live in Morrow County or live in the Cardington School District in Marion County. The Free Produce Markets serve families who live anywhere in Central Ohio.
Families must certify that their income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty guidelines. Income guidelines are set by the State of Ohio each year. Contact us at [email protected]if you need more exact information about guidelines.
Is there a cost to shop at the pantry? No, there is no cost for the food we provide to families we serve.
How do I shop? We utilize wonderful volunteers to assist as you come through the pantry. Through our signage and volunteers, we advise about what foods are available.(Note: last inside shoppers taken at 11:45 am after that time, you will be given the opportunity to take one of the pre-packed boxes.)
Can I visit other food pantries in the local area? Yes, you can shop at other food pantries in the area per their guidelines.
Need a ride to the food pantry? The Morrow County Area Transit service is available for your convenience. Please visit their website to learn how to schedule the service. Please note that our volunteers can not transport clients for liability sake.
Have a question? Contact the Cardington Food Pantry at 567-240-1637 or email [email protected]. You can also find us on Facebook at "Cardington Community Food Pantry."
Right to Refuse Service Policy In order to maintain a high standard of service and provide a safe work environment for our volunteers and patron families, this Food Pantry reserves the right to refuse or discontinue service to food pantry patrons. Service may be denied to any patron who acts inappropriately by disrupting the normal provision of services or if a patron’s behavior or environment threatens the safety of the Food Pantry’s volunteers or patron families.
Inappropriate behavior includes, but is not limited to the following:
Unreasonable demands for service
Threatening or erratic behavior
Misrepresentation for the need of service
Inappropriate physical contact
Personally, threatening and offensive language or behavior
Any Food Pantry volunteer can exercise the right to refuse service when confronted by a patron acting inappropriately or when facing an unsafe situation. They will notify their supervisor or team leader of the situation immediately.
For full non-discrimination policy, which this Food Pantry abides by, please review full statement here.