The shelves at Hope Mills Methodist Church’s food pantry don’t stay full for long. On distribution days, families from across Cumberland County walk the aisles, filling bags with canned vegetables, dry goods, and meat. For many, the food they carry home will provide two or three crucial meals in a week when other options are scarce.
At the heart of the program is director Walt Thomson, who has watched demand steadily climb.
“We do not ask them where they come from,” Thomson said. “All we need is for them to come in and say, ‘I don’t have any food, I’m hungry,’ and we’ll take care of them.”
The pantry, housed on Legion Road, is designed to be simple and direct. Families arrive, walk through shelves lined with donated goods, and select what they need. Frozen meats and fresh produce are provided when available. Hygiene products, including soap, toothpaste, and feminine supplies, are also stocked. While the setup is straightforward, the demand is overwhelming. On a typical day, Thomson said, around 95 families visit. By the end of distribution, shelves are often stripped bare.
“The hardest logistical challenge is getting enough food,” he explained. “We never have enough.”
That shortfall reflects broader trends. Food stamp reductions have left many families struggling to cover both rent and groceries. Inflation has made staples like eggs, bread, and milk harder to afford. The pantry has become a lifeline, yet resources remain stretched thin. The solution, Thomson insists, lies in community support. Donations of canned and dry goods remain the backbone of the pantry. Churches, civic groups, and businesses are encouraged to run can drives on their behalf.
“Donations, financial donations, or cans, start a can drive at their church. Any way to get food to us,” Thomson urged.
Beyond food, the pantry welcomes financial contributions, which allow the church to purchase in-demand items in bulk. Those funds also help fill gaps when donations don’t cover essentials like bread, eggs, or soap. Local businesses are invited to sponsor food drives, contribute funding, or provide in-kind support like storage solutions and transportation. Thomson said the pantry also depends on volunteers. From stocking shelves to helping families navigate the pantry floor, every set of hands makes a difference.
“We will put them to work helping people,” he said.
Though all contributions are valued, Thomson has identified certain items that families request most often, but the pantry rarely has in stock. These include:
• Bread, eggs, and fresh meat — often missing due to storage challenges.
• Hygiene products — such as toothpaste, toilet paper, and feminine items, which are rarely donated but vital for families.
• Shelf-stable goods — like canned vegetables with pop-top lids, boxed milk, rice, and pasta.
• Spices and condiments — small items that make otherwise plain meals more enjoyable.
• Fresh produce is especially prized. Local farmers and grocery stores occasionally deliver fruits and vegetables, and Thomson says the response is always enthusiastic. Clients are grateful for healthy food that isn’t always in their budget, and volunteers see firsthand how a bag of apples or bundle of tomatoes can brighten someone’s day.
Hope Mills Methodist Church frames the pantry as a direct expression of its faith. Thomson often refers to Matthew 25:35: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.” For him, this scripture is not symbolic but literal.
“We are a Christian-based organization because we’re part of the Methodist Church,” Thomson said. “Jesus told us that when you feed someone who is hungry, it’s the same as feeding Him. So we try to live by that, we’ll feed anybody that comes.” That philosophy shapes the pantry’s open-door policy. No proof of residency is required. No questions are asked about background, employment, or faith. The only qualification is hunger.
Families enter a room lined with shelves of canned and boxed goods, move to freezers stocked with meats, and then select fresh produce when available. Hygiene items are distributed separately. The church secretary coordinates drop-off donations during those hours, and Thomson encourages anyone interested in helping to visit in person.
“We’re calling for all donations,” he emphasized. “The biggest challenge is not having enough.”
The message Thomson wants the community to hear is clear: the need is urgent, and the pantry cannot meet it alone. Every bag of rice, every case of canned goods, every dollar given helps ensure families do not leave empty-handed. Faith groups are encouraged to organize can drives. Schools can mobilize students to collect hygiene products. Businesses can partner as sponsors, matching employee donations or underwriting the cost of staples. Individuals can volunteer time, whether once a week or once a month, to help with distribution.
“By the time the last person comes through the door, our shelves are bare,” Thomson said. “But with more help, more food, more donations, more volunteers—we can make sure no family has to walk away without enough to eat.”
How to donate or volunteer
• Food Donations: Drop off nonperishables, bread, fresh produce, or hygiene products Monday–Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Hope Mills Methodist Church, 4955 Legion Road, Hope Mills.
• Financial Support: Contributions can be given directly to the church office during those hours. Financial gifts allow for bulk purchases of high-demand items.
• Volunteer Opportunities: Call or visit the church office to sign up. Volunteers are immediately put to work assisting families, stocking shelves, and keeping the pantry running smoothly.
• Community Drives: Civic groups, schools, and churches are encouraged to organize can drives or hygiene product collections to benefit the pantry.
Thomson is realistic about the challenges. With nearly 100 families arriving on a single day, the pantry will always face high demand. But he is equally firm about the mission.
“We’ll feed anybody that comes,” he said. It is a commitment grounded in faith, sustained by volunteers, and dependent on community generosity. And for Thomson, it is as much about dignity as it is about food.
“When someone tells us they’re hungry, we respond,” he said. “That’s what we’re here for. And we need everyone’s help to keep it going.”
For more information, visit https://www.hopemillsmc.org/food-pantry.

(Photo: The Meals of Hope Food Pantry at the Hope Mills Methodist Church helps to feed families in need within the community. Photo courtesy of Hope Mills Methodist Church Facebook page)