St Paul's Episcopal Church - Food Basket and 'Soup & Song'

It is painfully obvious in Camden that some people lack very simple, basic necessities like food. Since the early 1980's St Paul's has provided a food pantry. Each Friday morning a supplemental food bag is given to all on a "first come, first served" basis. This usually happens between 8.00 and 9.00 a.m. Approximately 120 bags are given out each week. The program is currently managed by volunteers from Grace Church, Haddonfield. They buy the food - much of it from the Food Bank of Southern New Jersey - they prepare the bags, and they distribute it. Since the late 1980's a community breakfast has been served at St Paul's to all who come. On any given Sunday anywhere from 80 to 140 people are seated and served a hot breakfast consisting of pancakes and eggs, often augmented by meat, muffins or other treats provided by volunteers. This work was started by the teens at St Paul's who soon received the enthusiastic support of a host of volunteers from various parishes in the region surrounding Camden. Breakfast is served each Sunday from 9.00 am until 10.00 am regardless of weather or season. On the streets St Paul's is affectionately known as the "Pancake House".