Food Program

Program Vision: Everyone has access to healthy, nutritious food.

Rev Phil Food Pantry, Urban Farms, Summer Meals and more…

  • The Rev Phil Food Pantry provides bags of nutritious groceries to households in Schenectady County.
  • Schenectady Urban Farms grows fresh, healthy, and local food.
  • Summer meals program ensures children have nutritious breakfasts and lunches during the summer months.
  • Other support services include assistance with SNAP, health insurance, nutrition education, and employment information. Special programs include Senior Connect and Craft & Crochet, and Mom’s Care Group of Schenectady.
sandwich board outside of a brick building indicating that it is the food pantry by some road cones to develop a line for folks waiting outside

SiCM’s Mission: Relating the resources of the faith communities to the needs of Schenectady.

Food Pantry

  • Bags of nutritious groceries available to residents in Schenectady County
  • Open year-round Mondays 9-11:30 AM, Wednesdays 9-11:30 AM, Thursdays 9-11:30AM, and Fridays from 9-11:30AM
  • Photo ID, face mask, and proof of residency required
  • Call for information 518-346-4445
  • Mass distribution of groceries is the last Thursday of each month

Support Services

  • On-site help with Food Stamp/SNAP applications.
  • Information on health insurance, employment resources are available at Food Pantry.
  • Sit & Knit Program. Guests and volunteers knit together; program introduces guests to the food programs.
  • Senior Connect Program. Introduces seniors to the food programs and provides activities that encourage healthy food and lifestyles.

Schenectady Urban Farms

Hanging vilyn sign on a chain link fence indicating the title of the farm. behind is sprawling greenspace, trees, and a shed.

Schenectady Urban Farm

  • Lowering barriers to fresh food access while building a healthy, resilient and diverse community in Schenectady.
  • Farmers oversee three diversified city farms and together with Member/Farmers and Volunteers grow vegetables, herbs and flowers and raise small livestock. Our Community Orchard grows fruit and nut trees among native pollinator plants.
  • Members work the farms together, guided by our Farmers on staff who oversee the work through the year and share in the tasks of planning, planting, growing and tending vegetables, flowers and livestock. Members share in the farm harvest, according to their needs. Farms operate year-round.
  • SUF offers programs for youth and adults in collaboration with other organizations and share the food we grow through these programs.
  • SUF practice and promote growing foods organically, building healthy soils and supporting pollinators. They grow foods that are part of the rich agricultural heritage of many different peoples and in the process make new friends and learn about new foods. It is both joyful and delicious work!
  • There is no cost for membership! Two hours of volunteer work, on average, per week at the farm or on farm-related tasks is required.
  • We work in community and do not offer individual plots.

Host a Food Drive for SiCM

Contact Laura to host a food drive by emailing her at [email protected] for more information or dialing 518-374-2683 x 103.

Summer Meals Program

Summer Meals Program

  • Breakfasts and lunches served throughout the summer time in Schenectady and Scotia.
  • Supplemental activities available at sites, such as books, arts & crafts, etc.
  • Volunteer teams still needed to serve meals.
  • Take a look at the summer meals schedule!

Mobile Pantries – New Sites Added!

Mobile Pantries

Mobile Food Pantries help target areas with families needing access to healthy food in Schenectady not during Rev Phil Food Pantry hours.

Our goal is to provide increased availability of wholesome nourishment at a place and time that is convenient to our guests. This allows our guests to relinquish the worry of acquiring quality foods, at no cost, and focus on other needs that may be present in their lives.

  • MLK Elementary School Mobile Pantry (918 Stanley St.) Mondays from 1:30-2:30PM 4/24, 5/8, 5/22, 6/5, 6/19
  • Paige Elementary School Mobile Pantry (104 Elliott Ave.) Mondays from 1:30-2:30PM 4/3, 4/17, 5/1, 6/12, 6/26
  • Hamilton Elementary School Mobile Pantry (1091 Webster St.) Mondays from 9:00-10:00AM 4/24, 5/8, 5/22, 6/5, 6/19
  • Hometown Health Mobile Pantry (1044 State St.) Tuesdays from 9:30-11AM 4/4, 4/18, 4/25, 5/2, 5/9, 5/16, 5/23, 5/30, 6/6, 6/13, 6/20, 6/27
  • Keane Elementary School Mobile Pantry (1252 Albany St.) Tuesdays from 1:30-2:30PM 4/25, 5/9, 5/23, 6/6, 6/20
  • Lincoln Elementary School Mobile Pantry (2 Robinson St.) Tuesdays from 1:30-2:30PM 4/4, 4/18, 4/25, 5/2, 5/16, 5/30, 6/13
  • Mont Pleasant Library Mobile Pantry (1036 Crane St.) Wednesdays from 10:00-11:00AM 4/12, 4/26, 5/10, 5/24, 6/8, 6/22
  • Pleasant Valley Elementary School Mobile Pantry (1097 Forest Rd.) Wednesday from 1:30-2:30PM 4/12, 4/26, 5/10, 5/24, 6/8, 6/22
  • Mohonasen Elementary School Mobile Pantry (2072 Curry Rd.) Wednesdays from 2:30-4PM 4/5, 4/19, 5/3, 5/17, 5/31, 6/14, 6/28
  • Van Corlaer Elementary School Mobile Pantry (2310 Guilderland Ave.) Thursdays from 1:30-2:30PM 4/6 4/20, 5/4, 5/18, 6/1, 6/15, 6/29
  • Yates Elementary School Mobile Pantry (725 Salina St.) every other Thursday from 1:30-2:30PM 3/30, 4/27, 5/11, 5/25, 6/9, 6/23

Funding provided in part by:

NYS HPNAP

Other Supporters

Regional Food Bank, Concerned for Hungry, Post Office Food Drive, Annual SiCM Fundraisers (Souper Bowl, CROP Hunger Walk, Mocktails at Vale), Individual Donors, Faith Community, others

Photo of volunteer in rubber gloves and cloth mask putting cans of food in boxes at food pantry.

Check the volunteer schedule to sign up or call Laura at 518-374-2683 ext. 103 or send an email to [email protected] to help us in the pantry.