Our mission is to to ensure that everyone in our community has access to nutritious food in a safe and welcoming environment.

In the summer of 1989, a task force of members from six area congregations identified local hunger as a concern that needed to be addressed. They decided to join together to create a food pantry that would serve the whole community. Some of the committee members hosted a poster party to create signs, some went shopping, and others packed grocery bags that contained a flyer that said “We’re here to help”.

On opening day, September 19th, 1989, the newly named Community Food Cupboard served ten families at the Manchester Grange Hall. By January of 1990, the count of families reached 23 and by CFC’s first anniversary about 70 families were being served each week. During the 1990’s, the Food Cupboard moved into the Manchester Town Hall, the same space it still occupies today.

Our organization is overseen by a volunteer Board of Directors and one full-time and one part-time employee manage our outreach and operations. CFC receives no tax dollars. We are funded entirely by the generous donations of neighbors helping neighbors.

Each month, our amazing crew of volunteers move about 40,000 pounds of food into our home in the Manchester Center Town Hall, and then out to families in our community. We source food from various wholesalers and local farms to ensure that quality pantry staples and fresh fruits and vegetables are always available. We also work with dozens of community organizations, local food retailers and producers, farms, schools, and individuals to source donations and rescue high quality food that might otherwise be wasted.