A church in the heart of the city, with a heart for the city

Need grows for Kentucky church’s food, clothing ministries as living expenses increase

April 10, 2026

[Episcopal News Service] When Calvary Episcopal Church in Louisville, Kentucky, opened its three-day, volunteer-run food pantry in 1982, some 10 people claimed free groceries each day.The number of people increased over time until six years ago, when it increased exponentially. Today, Calvary’s food pantry serves about 140 people – one bag of groceries and one bag of toiletries per person – each Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and the number of people in need of food assistance keeps growing as inflation increases.  “Life’s just not easy for so many people. …They’re lining up for food, clothes, anything they can get because they might not know when their next opportunity will be,” Lauren Anderson, a food pantry volunteer and Calvary parishioner, told Episcopal News Service. Grocery stores, restaurants and community partners donate most of the food and personal items to the pantry, though individuals also donate items and money, said Margaret Dickinson, co-founder of the food pantry and Calvary’s former organist. Volunteers regularly need to replenish supplies of peanut butter, cereal, instant ramen, pasta and canned meat. Nothing donated to the food pantry, however, goes to waste. “We once got five-gallon tubs of icing from a local bakery. We didn’t think anyone would want it, but it was all taken and people put it to good use,” Dickinson told ENS. “It’s really a matter that people are hungry, and anything offered is appreciated as things are economically getting worse.” Dickinson noted that the pantry likely served more people than usual this week because Jefferson County Public Schools was on spring break. Students enrolled in the school district are served free breakfast and lunch through a community eligibility program. “Spring break means many kids aren’t getting regular breakfast and lunches, so, thinking of summer break coming up, we’ve got that added little thing to contend with,” she said. As of 2024, 15.8% of Louisville residents are living below the federal poverty level, higher than the national rate of 10.6%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The city is facing an affordable housing shortage, and the cost of living continues to rise even though minimum wage has remained stagnant at $7.25 per hour since 2009, according to multiple sources. As of 2025, 1,831 people in Jefferson County are unhoused, according to the Kentucky Housing Corporation’s latest “point-in-time” count on homelessness. Additionally, gas prices nationwide, including Kentucky, have also been rising weekly since the United States and Israel began attacking Iran at the end of February, topping $4 per gallon on average for the first time since 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. “These are everyday things people need to live, but prices keep skyrocketing,” Anderson said. “One week, something costs one price, but then the next week, it’s 50 cents more, not just 2 cents more. It’s scary, really, and it’s certainly not getting any better.” When Anderson began volunteering at the food pantry in 2022, about 45 people would show up for groceries per day, she said. The food pantry has expanded to donating pet supplies and hygiene products, items that are also facing growing demand.  While demand for food, pet supplies and hygiene products from the food pantry continues to grow, Calvary’s clothing ministry, the Clothes Closet, has also been serving more people weekly. Every Wednesday morning, the Clothes Closet, which is a collaboration between Calvary, Central Louisville Community Ministries and First Unitarian Church, is open for anyone to pick out a few new and gently used clothes and accessories. When Calvary’s food pantry and Clothes Closet are open, volunteers try to offer guests a sense of normalcy. While they’re waiting in line to enter, for example, a small bookcase, called Abby’s Library in honor of a book-loving parishioner who died from cancer, is placed outside and stacked with books people may take home. Most of the books are for children, so many parents will pull a book to read to their children while they’re in line. The garden also includes a playground area for small children to use while their parents pick up groceries, toiletries or clothes. Every time she volunteers, Anderson said she remembers meeting a fellow volunteer during her first day serving guests at the food pantry. “He said to me, ‘This is what we do.’ He then pointed to the sanctuary and said, ‘That other stuff, it’s nice. But this, serving people, is what we do.’ That’s something I’ve really taken to heart,” Anderson said. “Jesus demonstrated service to people, and I feel like, if you’re not doing that, then why are you calling yourself a Christian? We try to meet people’s needs as much as we can.” -Shireen Korkzan is a reporter and assistant editor for Episcopal News Service. She can be reached at skorkzan@episcopalchurch.org.