The Rhema Community Food Pantry is the strongest thing this church does in the neighborhood, and the part that surprises visitors most. Every other Wednesday afternoon, groceries go out to individuals and families from 3330 Skyview Dr.
You do not need to be a member here. You do not need to attend a service. You do not need to fill in a form, bring an ID, prove your household size, or explain your situation to anyone. Come at 3:00 PM on a pantry Wednesday and take what your household needs.
When
The pantry opens at 3:00 PM every other Wednesday. Call 863-797-5450 to find out which Wednesday is next before you come the first time, so you do not turn up on the wrong week. You can also send us a message.
Where
3330 Skyview Dr, Lakeland, FL 33801. The parking is free. You will see signs and somebody will point you in the right direction. The pantry runs out of the church building, not a separate warehouse, so there is no second address to remember.
What you can take
Groceries. The list of what comes in changes week to week, because the pantry buys and receives what is available and what is donated, and that varies. The general shape is the kind of food a household uses to cook dinner for a week: rice, canned vegetables, pasta, canned protein, cooking oil, bread, fresh produce when it is available, and diapers when the church has them.
If there is something specific you need and it is missing, ask. The team running the pantry that day cannot always fulfill a special request, but they will tell you honestly whether they can.
If you want to help
Members of this church give to the pantry as well as collect from it. That is how it works here, and nobody is sorted into givers and receivers.
You can help in three ways.
Bring food to the church. Call 863-797-5450 to check drop-off hours. The most useful things to bring are the things a household uses up quickly: rice, canned vegetables, cooking oil, peanut butter, pasta, canned beans, and diapers. If you want to bring something else, bring it; the team will sort it.
Give money toward the next collection. The ways to give are on the giving page, and you can note "food pantry" in the memo if you want the gift to go there.
Come and help hand it out on the day. An hour on a Wednesday afternoon is genuinely useful. You do not need to be a member and the team will show you what to do.
A word about who this is for
The pantry is for anyone in the area who needs food. That includes people who go to other churches, people who do not go to church at all, and people who have never set foot in 3330 Skyview Dr before. The team running it has been at this for years and they have seen every kind of household come through the door.
If money is tight, keep it. You are welcome here either way. The pantry is one of the doors this church leaves open on purpose, and the door is open.
The wider picture of what the church does in the neighborhood, including the Fitness Class and the Impact-27 Circle, is on the community page.