FOOD DISTRIBUTION
The Hope Ministries Food Pantry initially began with just a few bags of groceries out of the First Baptist Church of Bushnell's church office. As the need increased, it quickly became apparent to us, that a new space was paramount.
In 2010, during the great economic decline, we started distributing food on a much larger scale, in a shopping center space that was donated in Bushnell. With the larger facility, we were able to help many more families in the community.
The requirement for food continued to grow exponentially. Therefore, in July of 2012, we moved to our current leased space where we now serve approximately 200-250 families at every distribution.
In the Spring of 2013, we purchased 9.2 acres of the adjoining property to be used for the future expansion of Hope Ministries.
The Hope Ministries Food Pantry is a supplemental food bank that distributes food twice a month. Distribution is done on both the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
* Please note that in January 2023, we moved our regular distribution day from Wednesdays to Thursdays.
For information on eligibility, please click on the green "Eligibility Requirements" button above.
Food distribution is limited to income-eligible residents of south Sumter County. Hope Ministries assists all residents living in the following south Sumter County cities:
> Bushnell
> Center Hill
> Croom-A-Coochee
> Lake Panasoffkee
> Linden
> St. Catherine
> Sumterville
> Tarrytown
> Wahoo
> Webster
Hope Ministries works with Feeding America Tampa Bay to help meet the needs of the community. This pantry is also supported by individual contributions, local businesses/organizations, grant funding, and proceeds from our Thrift Store.
Necessary documents required at the time of sign-up and renewal to receive food:
-
Proof of all household income (i.e. Paystubs, award documents (SSI, SSDI, Veteran benefits, etc.), child support info, and/or bank statements)
-
Social Security cards for all household members (originals, no copies)
-
D.O.B. for all household members (birth certificates are not necessary, accurate verbal confirmation is fine)
-
Photo ID (for individual signing up, not for all household members)
-
Proof of south Sumter County residency
To request more information:
Contact the Hope Ministries Center
Monday - Saturday , 9 AM - 4 PM
352-568-7729
You can also request more information with this form:
Photography provided by Sarah Young of "The Inked Octopus". www.facebook.com/TheInkedOctopus