Starting April 3rd
Open Thursdays from 3 - 6 pm
641 Tremont Ave SW, Massillon OH 44647
*Please note that the Pantry & Cafe will be closed  the weeks of July 3, November 27, December 25, and January 1.*

According to the Akron-Canton Food Bank's winter 2024 report, they provided 31.4 million meals to families in 2024 which is the largest in the organization's history. In Stark County, it is estimated that 48,510 adults and 14,410 children are food insecure.

We are partnering with the Akron-Canton Food Bank to provide the wide selection of nutritious foods including proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy and fresh bread, and the food ingredients required to make a complete meal through our choice food pantry. Using the choice style pantry allows clients to select their own food instead of receiving a pre-packed or standard bag of groceries. As we serve the community, we hope to identify specific food needs and gaps where we can provide those items in our pantry. 

One in two Americans are living in loneliness according to the US Surgeon General's 2023 Report. With loneliness at epidemic proportions throughout our society, we seek to incorporate community into all we do!

At our café we will serve coffee, tea, hot chocolate along with other beverages and snacks free to our pantry guests. We plan to serve our pantry guests with life-changing hospitality throughout their experience. As we serve our guests in this way we strive to build trust through transparency, create a culture of collaboration and mutuality, and build autonomy through empowerment, voice and choice. Serving guests through life-changing hospitality also allows them to feel seen, heard and valued and bridges cultural, social, religious, and personal divides.

 To provide quality service to our pantry guests every week, we need people like you to get involved! Our volunteers complete an application and attend a general orientation along with training specific to their role in the pantry, and a training handbook to refer back to. All volunteers are trained in policies and procedures specific to Akron Canton Food Bank guidelines, life-changing hospitality, trauma informed care and conflict resolution, professional code of conduct and other principles related to our organization’s Vision, Mission, and Values. 

Various community resource groups will be present during pantry hours to provide guests with direct and personal connection with their services like Goodwill – Goodskills Program, SPARK, Hammer and Nails, Stark Community Support Network, SAM Center, Massillon Public Library etc. 

For a complete list of community resources available to you including how to find additional food assistance near you, click the links below.

Our ultimate goal for the Food Pantry & Cafe is outlined in three phases below:

Phase 1. Our food pantry opens April 3 of 2025 for one day a week and serve coffee along with other beverages and snacks  to provide hospitality to our pantry guests at no charge using the facilities that we already have with minor updates.

Phase 2. We will increase the number of days we are open and extend operating hours as to increase the number of households we are serving through our food pantry and cafe. We will increase our funding through grant awards and private donors in order to meet increased needs and work to acquire added equipment and volunteers. We will make improvements to our building as we go along.

Phase 3. We will operate a fully functioning cafe and food pantry from a newly renovated building 5 days a week with well trained staff and volunteers!

The City Serve food pantry will be unique. It will ultimately be open multiple days a week and during hours other pantries are closed to allow people to “shop” for what they need in an environment like a grocery store, and contain meat and fresh produce. 

Paid staff and volunteers from the community and local churches. 

The City Serve café will be distinct. It will be staffed with employees and volunteers that are equipped to offer world class hospitality and to connect customers to area organizations, churches, and social services. Any profit will be used to further serve the city. 

Akron Canton Regional Foodbank along with donations from members of the community.