Growing a Good Idea: The Vinegar Hill Food Pantry

As the 2020 pandemic disrupted daily life across Brooklyn, one of the most immediate challenges for residents was consistent access to food. Grocery shelves were unreliable, mobility was restricted, and existing support systems were slow to meet the scale of need.

“Like a lot of people, I wanted to help but I didn’t know where to start—I was worried about it not being enough or not feeling meaningful,” says Vinegar Hill resident Jennifer Macksoud.  “Putting some cans in the box everyday made me feel like I was doing something helpful, and since we were home all the time, I could see how often that box needed to be refilled.“

As word spread, volunteers and nearby businesses joined in and this grassroots effort eventually became the Vinegar Hill Food Pantry, now a registered nonprofit run by a dedicated volunteer team.

Today, the pantry operates two primary programs, a weekly food distribution and an outdoor pantry located by the community garden, stocked with no-cost essentials for immediate, anonymous access.

“[Every Tuesday] we start handing out numbered tickets at 9:30AM [and] a little before 12PM we [begin] handing out allotments,” says Elizabeth Frank, volunteer and VHFP’s Director of Operations. “Our clients live close by and are low-income folks. We have many elderly clients as well as young people with families.”

The model is intentionally simple: reduce food insecurity by offering reliable, barrier-free support. As a volunteer-driven organization, the pantry maintains a strong neighborhood focus while leveraging its nonprofit status to secure donations and grants that sustain its work.

“The food comes mainly from grant funding from the Community Food Connection and from private donations to VHFP. Also, once a month, the pantry receives food items from The Campaign Against Hunger,” says Frank. Neighbors can also easily get involved.

“[You can leave] shelf-stable items like pasta, vegetables, fruit, beans, protein, soups, etc., in the Little red box located outside Vinegar Hill Community Garden on Gold Street any time, and you can also donate online. Five dollars goes a long way!”

You can also become a weekly volunteer by showing up at 228 York Street at 11:30AM any Tuesday of the year to help with the distribution. “People can organize food drives within their buildings or schools to benefit the pantry as well,” says Frank.

Ideas? Questions? Email VHFP to get more involved.