Donations

• Set up a donation area for members of your local congregation to donate items for the food pantry. Donations work as a vital part of a food pantry. Also boost monetary donations. Use any money donated to purchase food storage areas in addition to non-perishable food items. Always thank those who give food or money to the church food pantry as they deserve to feel appreciated.
  
  

Volunteers

• Find willing and able volunteers. Without people willing to help, the food pantry cannot function successfully. Enlist the help of young people. Minors can assist under the supervision of an adult. Encourage youth to take an active part in the food pantry ministry. Build a large list of volunteers. This will ensure you do not use the same handful of people over and over again.
  
  

Storage

• Effective food pantries must have proper storage facilities for the non-perishable food. Items such as canned meat, boxed food and bagged beans will begin to pile up. Use a closet or extra room in the church or fellowship hall as storage. Keep this area well organized. Shelves for canned food allow you to organize food by type and provide an easy way to gather food for opening hours of the food pantry.
  
  

Schedule

• Create a solid schedule to advertise to the community the hours you will operate. Also, create a rotation schedule for your volunteers. Consider only opening on a weekend or evening basis to begin. These hours will fit easier into the schedules of your volunteers and will make scheduling easier in the beginning. As your volunteer base grows, you can expand your hours.