Our History

Our journey began in the late 1960s with the Plainville Human Relations Council. Later when it was officially established in 1972, the Plainville Community Food Pantry started as a small operation at the Plainville Congregational Church, serving a handful of families under the guidance of our first director, Sharon Collins. By 1979, under the leadership of our second director, Kathy Lickwar, we had expanded our reach to 75 families.

With the bread pick-up program initiated by board member Joe Silverio, our operations grew. Volunteers were recruited as more grocery stores began donating. By 1983, our Bread Distribution program was born, allowing us to share surplus baked goods with other agencies. This growth led to a move to Linden Street School's basement for additional space.

In 1989, Susie Woerz took over as director, ushering in an era of expansion. We moved to Our Lady of Mercy Parish Hall and introduced additional programs like the Back-to-School initiative. By the end of the decade, it was clear that we needed a larger facility to accommodate our growing operations.

A grant from the State of Connecticut in 1998 allowed us to build our current facility at 54 South Canal Street. With a garage, storage area, and solar panels added in 2017, our new facility was equipped to serve the growing needs of our community even better.

Over the years, we've made significant additions to better serve the Plainville community. We've increased our staff, introduced new programs, and even established a 1,000-square-foot garden with apple trees. Today, we serve over 125 households five days a week, steadfast in our mission to improve the quality of life for our clients.

In addition, we’re a host site for WIC — a federally funded Women, Infants, and Children program. The pantry also works in collaboration with Plainville Adult Education and works in partnership with the United Way.