MCC photo/Nereida Babilonia

Merilda Morgan hands a bag of groceries to Dione Pickett, both of Philadelphia, Pa. Oxford Circle Christian Community Development Association (OCCCDA)'s Back to School Festival in September 2016 drew around 1,000 people where 200 MCC grocery bags were distributed.

 

MCC grocery bags or food boxes contain basic staples such as pasta, rice, canned meat, beans, cereal and peanut butter. For many families, this is an important resource, especially around the holidays and at the beginning of summer when children are out of school. A grocery bag typically feeds a family of four for two weeks and allows households to save money on groceries.

Over 3,000 MCC grocery bags and food boxes are distributed yearly to churches in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

Ms. Pauline Hicks (left) and Katie Gard (right) pause for a photo in October 2018 as Ms. Hicks receives an MCC grocery bag from Oxford Circle Christian Community Development Association (OCCCDA) in Philadelphia. The groceries help her save money be providing basic food staples for her family. Ms. Hicks says that she uses every single item in the grocery bag.Photo courtesy of Katie Gard

Every MCC East Coast grocery bag and food box contains (minimum ounces listed):

  • vegetable oil (32 oz.)
  • pasta (2 lbs.)
  • raisins (1 lb.)
  • white rice (32 oz.)
  • 2 cans meat (chicken or tuna) (12 oz.)
  • 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz.)
  • 2 cans fruit (14-20 oz.)
  • 2 cans vegetables (14-16 oz.)
  • 2 cans beans (16 oz.)
  • 1 box of cereal (14-18 oz.)  
  • peanut butter (28 oz.)

Silvia Sanchez (right) passes a food box to former MCC Summer Service worker Ashley Marrin at King of Glory Tabernacle in Bronx, New York in November 2018. Volunteers and MCC staff distributed 610 boxes full of groceries to three churches in New York City (Evangelical Garifuna Church in Bronx, King of Glory Tabernacle in Bronx and United Revival Mennonite Church in Brooklyn) which will help with the outreach ministries of eight Mennonite churches in the city. MCC photo/Diana Voth

Read about MCC's East Coast grocery bag and food box distributions:

Drop off grocery bags or food boxes in Philadelphia:

MCC East Coast regional office

900 E. Howell Street, Philadelphia, PA 19149

(215) 535-3624

EastCoast@mcc.org

Drop off food boxes in Lancaster:

MCC East Coast Material Resources Center

517 West Trout Run Road, Ephrata, PA 17522

(717) 733-2847

EastCoastMRC@mcc.org

Drop off grocery bags in Souderton:

Material Resources Center of Harleysville

737 Hagey Center Drive, Souderton, PA 18964

(267) 203-8074

mrc@mcc-harleysville.org